The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Power
by EmblemQueen
Summary: This is a revision of my post-Majora's Mask Zelda fic! 7 years after he departs Termina, Link meets a mysterious female warrior named Kelli and begins a new quest in Hyrule to stop a new villain. Hints of upcoming LinkxZelda.
1. The Return

The Legend of Zelda: The Ancient Power

Prologue

_In the vast land of Hyrule, there exist many great tales of heroism and war, both ancient and recent, well-known and obscure. The most famous of these legends is the tale of the Hero of Time, a boy who traveled between present and future to bring an onslaught of evil to its end. With the aid of the seven sages, the Hero of Time successfully sealed away the great evil and returned peace to Hyrule. His long quest complete, the young hero was said to have crept away from that land on a personal journey in search of an invaluable friend._

_ However…_

_ Unbeknownst to the citizens of Hyrule, another story was unfolding in the neighboring land of Mayia. A creature of terrible evil invaded the kingdom in search of a mysterious Golden Power. As they knew nothing of this great power, save that the horrific creature would not cease his rampage until finding it, all the people could do was pray to the gods for salvation. The answer to these prayers appeared one day in the most unlikely of forms. A young girl carrying little more than a sword and shield stepped forth and opposed the great evil. Much like the Hero of Time, she, too, defeated her foe and restored peace to the land._

_ Despite the victories these two heroes achieved, the power of the girl and the creature she defeated remained but a mystery to many of the people. When beings similar to those the girl battled in Mayia begin appearing in Hyrule a year later, another legend that had centuries before been buried and forgotten would soon be reborn. _

_This is the legend of the Sky Guardians._

Chapter 1: The Return

It was a late afternoon as Link rode his horse, Epona through a thick, dense forest, the sun sinking below the horizon to his left. Ever since he saved a mysterious land known as Termina seven years before, he had been on a long journey seeking his old guardian fairy, Navi. It was, in fact, that very quest that led him to Termina by chance, where he discovered the land gripped in terror as the moon slowly but inexorably fell out of the sky. There simply wasn't enough time to save them...but that was hardly a problem when one can manipulate time. Link's hand found the pocket where he kept the Ocarina of Time, a treasure of the Royal Family of Hyrule. The delicate instrument was ensorcelled with numerous powers that had saved his life every bit as often as his sword.

Link shook himself back to attention and turned his thoughts back to Navi. He searched day and night for her, only interrupting the quest to allow himself and Epona take a rest from the insane amount of traveling that was required. Whenever he saw a town or village, Link would stop for a brief rest and supplies and then continue to search for Navi there as well before moving on. Still, it had been years of searching and goddesses only know how many miles. Link was tired, frustrated and lonely. At the moment, he was finally considering giving up the search. However, he knew that that was not the answer. No matter how long or what it took to succeed, Link knew he would eventually lay eyes on his friend again.

As he slowed Epona to a halt deep within the forested area he had begun journeying through earlier that day, Link carefully scanned his surroundings. His blonde bangs swayed back and forth in the light breeze that had begun to rustle the leaves as his eyes shifted from tree to tree and shrub to shrub. However, it wasn't long before his eyes had begun to water and a tear trickled down his cheek. He missed Navi terribly, even if she had been a little annoying every now and then. However, the fairy's friendly personality and her talent for granting him line-of-sight on his enemies and discerning their weaknesses had by far made up for the slight annoyances, enabling them to build up the friendship the two had shared.

Link brought a hand to his eyes and wiped his tears away as he pressed on. Navi was out there somewhere, he believed, maybe even looking for him. He continued on his way, reminding himself of the great adventure he had with her in his homeland of Hyrule. Navi's advice had been very helpful to him, even if she did repeat it unnecessarily, and Link could tell she only did it so he would never forget. In fact, he actually enjoyed listening to her exclaim "Hey!" or "Listen!" or "Watch out!" or "Look!" It was because of this that he knew Navi cared about him just as he did her.

As the sky grew darker and darker with the onset of night, Link had begun having difficulty seeing through the darkened woods due to the canopy of the trees which blotted out the guiding moonlight. Even so, he didn't let it hold him back. However, he soon became so focused on his thoughts of Navi that he didn't realize he was steering himself and Epona right towards the face of a tall, rocky cliff. When he finally snapped himself out of his trance, Link gasped in shock and suddenly yanked Epona's reins, causing her to come to a complete halt in her tracks and whinny in surprise.

"Daaah! Whoa, girl!" Link exclaimed, relieved he'd realized what he was doing before what would have probably been a rather embarrassing, and possibly deadly, collision could occur. Link immediately began to turn Epona around in hopes he could locate another route through the forest. Before he could recollect his thoughts, however, a faint rumbling noise echoed from atop the cliff. The rumbling grew louder for the next few seconds until suddenly, chunks of rock came bursting away from the formation and plunged down straight towards Link and Epona. Link's eyes widened in fear as his grip on the reins became tight.

"Oh man, c'mon Epona, GO!" Link shouted as he pulled Epona about to dash off as quickly as he'd halted her. Luckily, he soon managed to locate a new route and turned onto it immediately. Much to his dismay, however, the new path only led the hero to another section of the cliff, with more rocks sliding from above. The two instantly bolted off again down another trail with Link frantically wondering where he would go if he ended up back at the cliff again. That is, until he had become so concerned about where he was headed that he stopped paying attention to his surroundings. It took Link mere minutes to collide head first into a low tree branch, knocking him right out of the saddle and sending him crashing into the dirt back first. His world instantly went dark out of the blow.

Link felt a sharp blow to the back of his head and the world above him began to spin before he succumbed to unconsciousness. The spiraling world above him seemed to bleed through the darkness, melting into iridescent vortices of color that flittered about just within each eyelid. The images were very pretty but, when a harsh golden light seared through his vision, he lost all recollection of what those images were. Link opened his eyes, his vision blurred and his head still throbbing. First he saw the sun and then the moon in a grayed, darkened sky full of billowing blackened clouds. Below the hovering sun stood a blonde-haired girl wielding a mysterious sword and shield with mysterious markings. Link could discern little from her hardened features, save that she was clearly a skilled warrior and didn't look particularly friendly. Link himself was standing opposite to her and below the moon, but he was holding a different sword than the one he currently carried, which was the Great Fairy's Sword, a blade he obtained in Termina. Instead, the weapon in his hand was a dark blue-hilted sword he'd never seen before which also bore markings he could not decipher. Without warning, Link and the blonde girl held up their swords and the sun and moon began to glow…

"Link!" a feminine voice suddenly called. "Link! Hey, are you alright?" Link's eyes fluttered open almost on the instant, yet he could've sworn he was awake before. A bluish white ball bearing wings hovered above him and when he realized what he was looking at, Link found himself wondering if this was another dream.

"Link!" Navi repeated, her tone as joyful as ever while the flapping of her wings grew faster. "Oh Link, I'm so relieved you've awakened!"

"Huh…? …What happened? …Navi?" Link wondered, sitting up and still working to dispel the fog over his mind. "Navi! It is you!"

"Yes! I found you here unconscious. Oh Link, I can't believe this is happening after such a long time!" Navi replied.

"Neither can I. Navi, where have you been during these seven long years?" Link wondered, wanting to cry with joy at seeing his beloved fairy partner again. "My adventures have never been the same without you by my side! Or, is that my head or in my hat?"

"I…I'm so sorry, Link. I returned to the Kokiri Forest…" Navi reluctantly admitted, knowing how long Link had been away from Hyrule.

"What? You mean to tell me you never even left Hyrule?" Link exclaimed, his eyes widening. "I left and never saw my home again for years, Navi!" Navi stopped flapping her wings so hard and felt the most regret she ever had in her life.

"I know, Link…it's all my fault," she pleaded with guilt. "I should have said something before we parted ways back at the Temple of Time. I never thought of you actually leaving Hyrule to go find me…"

Link was instantly deep into thought once more upon hearing Navi's words. She was right, but then again, he never thought she might have remained in Hyrule. Now he began to feel his own share of regret over the entire misunderstanding. He could have searched Hyrule first instead of leaving completely, but why didn't he? And why did Navi appear to randomly fly out of the window of the Temple of Time, for no discernable reason and not come back? Unable to answer these questions floating in his mind, Link decided to in instead focus on what was more important about Navi's return.

"You know what? I have to apologize as well," Link decided. "I never considered the idea that you might have stayed. But although we're both at fault here, I'm merely glad we're reunited after all these years."

"Yes, so am I!" Navi responded in a cheerful voice. "And I miss Hyrule. What say you to a journey back home together?" A smile formed on Link's face as he gripped Epona's reins again.

"I say you bet!" he agreed. He, too, missed his homeland dearly and returning with the friend he had been searching for so long and hard had to be the best idea he'd heard in a very long time. Although Link was excited to set foot in Hyrule with his fairy by his side once more, he still had some questions floating in his mind as they were traveling.

"Hey, now that I think about this, did you eventually leave in search of me too?" he inquired.

"Actually, yes. A while ago, well quite a while ago, I decided to find you but I didn't know where to look. Then Zelda came to me and she told me that you left on a search for me three months after we parted ways, and I felt like I'd made a horrible mistake," Navi explained. She continued to say that she, too, had not seen Hyrule in seven years because she had been searching for Link to apologize for everything.

"Oh…I'm so sorry to have put you through that," Link apologized, his guilt probably reaching the same peak as Navi's by now. "Zelda… I'll have to thank her for letting you know where I'd gone. I've missed her terribly as well." As the words left his mouth, his meandering thoughts suddenly fixated upon Zelda, princess of Hyrule. Link had spent his final three months in Hyrule with her and it had felt as though he'd found a little piece of heaven that had fallen to earth. Zelda's kind nature, and her crafty mind and fondness for pranks were always good for a laugh, even if it was Link who was on the receiving end. Knowing Zelda, she would also be happier than ever to see Link again. However, that train of thought soon led to another matter Link had begun to ponder about. How did Zelda know where Navi had gone and why she didn't give Link the information?

"But wait a second, if Zelda knew where you'd gone, why didn't she tell me?" Link asked, arching one eyebrow.

"She didn't know at first. Saria told her I'd gone home," Navi explained.

"Yeah, that makes sense, with Saria being one of the sages and all," Link replied. "Now I really feel ashamed of myself." Not only had Link left Hyrule, but he'd left his friends behind as well, and Saria, a Kokiri and sage of the Kokiri Forest, was his only real friend during the lonely years before his adventure began.

"Don't punish yourself, Link. We're together again," Navi assured. "Everything's fine now."

"Yeah, you're right. No use pouting about it even more," Link agreed. "But still, nothing's been the same without you. Especially since I had another fairy following me around in this land called Termina." He went on to say that even though the fairy, whose name was Tatl, had helped him, Link detested her attitude and the way she treated him. And, of course, the way her voice sounded like a shrill bell being rung right in his ear hadn't helped much either.

"She acted as if I were a freaking moron who didn't know the first thing about adventuring, for crying out loud!" Link complained. "I needed you back too much afterwards, and because of that, I left that land without a second thought. Don't ever leave me like this again. Please!"

"Oh…of course I won't," Navi promised, looking abashed at the confession. "I didn't know you needed me so much. I thought you had no use for me because you're a Hylian, not a Kokiri. But I promise I won't think such things ever again!"

"Thank you, Navi. I may be a Hylian, but that doesn't change anything."

"It certainly doesn't." At that, Navi flew close to Link and huddled against his shoulder in a fairy hug. Link smiled and brought his hand around her as he kept steering Epona. They were definitely inseparable friends.

A fairly short time had passed after Link and Navi had finished their conversation when the faint sound of a horse's hooves echoed from elsewhere in the woods. Link instantly pulled Epona to a halt and glanced around to see where it was coming from, but the sound seemed to echo off of the tree trunks and then become muffled by the leaves making it difficult to even hear, much less track to its source. Fortunately for Link, a palomino horse came in to view minutes later, galloping towards him. However, 'fortunately' might have been a premature term, as Link had no idea if the rider was friend or enemy. Link shook his head when he laid eyes upon the horse's rider. It was a blonde-haired girl who appeared to be no older than him and, to his astonishment, bore a striking resemblance to the person from his vision. The girl had a yellow-orange hilted sword and shield at her back and her features were hardened but not unkind, indicating she was a warrior like Link himself. The girl pulled her horse into a complete halt in front of Epona and Link, her deep teal blue eyes looking straight into him. Feeling too shocked to say anything, Link simply concentrated on how he could see a girl he did not know in a dream. Finally, the girl herself spoke up seconds later.

"Excuse me, your name is Link, right?" she asked politely. The girl's expression bordered on concerned as Link searched for his reply. Waiting for an answer, the girl perked up her pointed ears. Having trouble getting a sentence out, Link finally spoke.

"I…oh, yes, I'm Link," he responded, finally snapping out of it. "H-how did you know?"

"I was told of you by the King of Hyrule. He sent me to find you. …Is something wrong?" the girl wondered, sensing Link's astonishment.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that you look a lot like someone I saw in a dream. And…and she was holding a sword just like yours!" Link exclaimed, feeling a wave of shock go through his body once again when he got a closer look at the hilt of the girl's blade.

"Is that so?" the girl replied, not seeming the least bit surprised. "Then there's no doubt about it. You're definitely the man I'm looking for."

"Huh? Now I'm really confused," Link admitted, scratching the top of his head. The girl smiled, hinting to Link that she knew something he didn't.

"Ah, let me explain. My name is Kelli. I'm a Hylian warrior and protector of Hyrule. As I said before, his majesty King Daphnes assigned me to find a man named Link, also known as the Hero of Time," the girl explained. Kelli said she had been given details about Link to help expedite her search. Link knew from the moment Kelli mentioned his title that she, indeed, was a confidant of the Royal Family because, as from Link and the Sages, King Daphnes and Zelda were the only people to know about his adventure in the dark future he and his friends had prevented from coming to pass. Convincing the King that his then ally, Ganondorf was in actuality a traitor had been difficult but the Triforce emblems on Link and Zelda's hands had been difficult to refute. King Daphnes had explained to Kelli how Link was affected by evil presences in the form of terrible nightmares based upon them and that it'd be wise to ask if he'd had any such dreams lately. Kelli was also given a brief physical description of him as well, although it wasn't much due to Link having not been seen in a long time.

"I see," Link replied. "But what does his majesty want me for? What's going on?" Kelli looked away for a minute. Link could easily tell something was very wrong.

"I'll explain later. We have to hurry," Kelli replied. Link nodded with concern as the two warriors began their journey back to Hyrule together.

As they traveled, Link found Kelli easy to get along with despite her reluctance to share details of her mission, as the two ceaselessly conversed during their long journey. He learned her horse's name was Sunfire and that she was a gift to Kelli from Zelda. Sunfire was quite an attractive horse for the steed of a warrior. Her curly blonde mane and tail radiated beauty. Her saddle was a light sky blue and burnt red in color and bore the emblem of the Hyrulean Royal Family, the Triforce mark, while the straps were colored gold. It showed the beauty of a royal saddle. Link shared tales of his past adventures in Termina and Hyrule, explaining how he wielded the legendary blade, the Master Sword, and even about his traveling through time to first overthrow Ganondorf, the evil king of the Gerudo tribe in the west, in the dark future and then return to the past to prevent his rise to power. Kelli refused to give many details about herself, however, and whenever Link mentioned the Kokiri Forest or Zelda, she would cut him off and change the topic. Although he found this rather odd, Link could detect an edge in her voice and decided it was too harsh a subject to inquire about for the time being.

Around half an hour later, Kelli suddenly brought Sunfire to a halt, causing Link to follow her example with Epona. Her eyes shifted quickly from each direction, indicating she was sensing a nearby presence, but Link couldn't hear or see anything but themselves. He decided it was best to inquire about the matter.

"Kel, why are we stopping?" he whispered, still glancing around.

"Shush. I heard something," Kelli replied, so softly that Link nearly missed it. The two were silent for the next few moments until Kelli's expression bordered on frantic.

"Oh no… We're being pursued. Follow me quickly!" she instructed. "Fight only if you absolutely have to! We can't lose any time!"

Link, deciding Kelli knew what she was doing, obeyed and followed behind the warrior closely and quickly. In no time at all, however, Lizalfos, humanoid lizard creatures who carried fairly short swords, riding atop White Wolfos had appeared waiting in ambush and gave chase to Link and Kelli. These monsters were familiar to Link, but something appeared different about them this time. They seemed to be more intelligent than the last time he encountered them, they'd never had mounts, and their eye colors were not the usual eerie bright red. Most of them had golden eyes, but a select few bore navy blue eyes as well. Hoping Kelli knew what exactly was going on, Link continued to follow her winding paths through the trees and helped fight off the monsters that caught up with them until their pursuers were far behind.

"We should be safe now," Kelli wheezed out a few minutes later. The enemy's numbers had by then dropped by a lot. The remaining ones began to flee.

"Can I ask what that was all about?" Link wondered in confusion. "I've never seen Lizalfos riding Wolfos before, nor have I seen them so intelligent or have those eye colors."

"You'll understand when I explain things later." Taking Kelli's word for it, not that there was much of a choice, Link decided not to inquire about it again until they finished their journey.

About an hour after Link and Kelli first left, they finally entered the vast land of Hyrule. However, Link couldn't believe what he was seeing around him. The scene he beheld was eerily familiar, and in the worst possible way. Dark clouds were hovering over Death Mountain, Hyrule Castle could be seen completely consumed by dark skies and fog, the drawbridge into the town was torn down, the town walls were full of holes and partially destroyed, and monsters were roaming all over Hyrule Field. Link's mouth hung open in shock as he watched a scene from his oldest nightmares playing out before him. Somehow, despite the tireless efforts of himself and the Sages, the dark reign of Ganondorf had come again.

This was Link's first thought, for he was at a loss as to what else it could be. But the broad expanse of tragedy he gazed open was more than enough to overwhelm his sense. It meant that everything he'd done, and everything that had been done to him, all that his friends had accomplished, and all they had suffered, everything Hyrule itself had gone through, all the years of savagery and slaughter and the deaths of countless innocents...had all been for nothing. Because it had all been done to prevent a dark and terrible future, which had happened anyway. Somehow, Link shook himself back to attention. The Sages, Malon, the Kokiri, the Gorons, the Zoras, the Gerudo, the Great Deku Tree Sprout, and Zelda. Were they alright? Were they even alive?

"Link? Link?" a voice tore through his whirling thoughts and he turned to Kelli, who also bore an expression of concern.

"Oh no… This can't be," Link said, his eyes wide, though he was all too aware of how the sight before him disproved his words. "Is this why we were being chased?" Kelli closed her eyes and her gaze drooped earthward, almost mournfully.

"I'm afraid so. A mysterious evil did this…" she explained as her eyes opened and scanned the field once more. "No one knows who, but this evil invaded the land and let loose a raid of these intelligent monsters without warning. I didn't think any had gone so far outside of Hyrule, though."

"I have to find my friends," Link realized urgently, and he was about to spur Epona into motion when Kelli's mount trotted forward to bar his path.

"I can't let you do that," she informed him calmly.

Without thought, a reflex born from having wielded a sword against foes in countless varieties, Link's blade leapt out of his sheath, it's tip hovering a hair's breadth from Kelli's throat. A torrent of thoughts whirled through Link's mind, most centered on what could be happening to his friends at that very moment and Kelli's reasons for preventing him from helping them. Whether she was, despite her earlier claims, an enemy or whether she was giving him the run-around like Sheik and the Giants had in his prior adventures, Link did not know. And, frankly, he didn't care.

What could be happening to Saria, to Darunia, to Malon, to Zelda, while he was halted here in this standoff filled him with dread. And, anybody who tried to stop him from saving them did so at their own peril.

"I don't want to hurt you," Link told her, feelingly. "But, I need to find out what's happened to my friends. They might need my help. Now, move out of my way or _I'll_ move you." Kelli's expression remained unchanged, doubtlessly sensing the conflict in Link's mind as he weighed the prospect of cutting his way through an ally or risking that such a delay could cost the life of friend. Sensing that the tension in Link's sword arm might not be a good sign, she chose to merely leave him a warning.

"If you think you can beat me in a battle with your current skill, then you're being more reckless than I thought you would," Kelli commented, her tone turning less friendly. At blinding speed, she swiped her sword from her sheath and struck Link's blade away from her throat. Link, nearly gulping at the act, made no effort to resist further. Kelli had clearly implied that she knew sword techniques he had never even heard of, though where she could have trained to learn such skills, he could not figure out.

"I don't know where your friends are, or what's happened to them," Kelli admitted, but continued before Link could respond with drastic action. "But I know someone who does. If you come with me, you'll learn more than you would gallivanting off on your own. I will also offer my help if you trust me."

Another few tense moments passed, during which Link mulled over the prospects of forcing his way past or taking Kelli at her word. Eventually, he sheathed his blade and nodded.

"Alright, we'll do it your way," Link replied, his tactical mind already mulling over the situation. "Do you know anything about who or what caused this?"

"No. That's what we need to find out," Kelli explained. Link could tell she was confident in her ability to find out whom exactly this new evil presence was. She then bravely said, "The first thing we must do is see his majesty. He will surely have counsel and orders for us."

"Where is he?"

"Everyone, including his majesty, have taken shelter in Kakariko. Somehow, the village is the only place that has hardly been touched by evil."

"Hm…"

Link still didn't like not getting a straight answer out of Kelli but he could tell she was sincere and decided he could trust her. His earlier musing about Sheik came back him; Sheik had also been evasive and cryptic to the point where Link seriously considered grabbing the lyre strumming Sheikah by the neck and shaking him until he told Link where Zelda was hiding. One could imagine Link's surprise when he learned that Zelda had been hiding behind Sheik's cowl, right in front of him, the whole time. Perhaps Kelli was being similarly tight lipped because she too had things in hand? The possibility helped to calm Link's worried mind.

Still, Link's concerns yet lingered in his mind even though Kelli had assured him that he'd know where his friends were soon enough. With things the way they were, however, monsters could attack anywhere at any time whatsoever, which meant Link and Kelli would need to keep their guard up at all times. Link also pondered about who could be behind such horrific devastation, but no reasonable ideas came to mind besides Ganondorf, the evil Gerudo king who was defeated by the young hero when he wielded the Master Sword. And even Ganondorf being behind this didn't seem possible because how could the man have broken out of the seal he was sent into so soon after Link and Zelda reported his treachery to Daphnes? Link decided, as a result, it had to be an unknown adversary, at least in Hyrule.

As Link and Kelli directed their horses across the monster-inhabited Hyrule Field, Link noticed Lon Lon Ranch had also seen an attack. There were cracks and holes in the walls and pieces from where it had been bombarded were lying in the dirt-stained grass. Link grew even more nervous as he lightly scanned his surroundings. He hoped Malon, Talon, Ingo, and the animals were safe and sound. Well, Ingo he could do without, but Malon and Talon were amongst the first real friends he'd had since leaving Kokiri Forest. After an extremely close, but missed encounter with a pair of bird-like monsters known as Guays, Link and Kelli arrived at the entrance to Kakariko Village. However, before the two warriors could even dismount their horses, a Hyrule Castle guard appeared on the stairs leading to the village. The one thing that managed to catch the eyes of Link and Kelli the most, however, was the soldier's blood-stained lance and the limp in his walk. His panicked expression turned into relief when he spotted Link and Kelli at the base of the stairs.

"Lady Kelli!" he exclaimed, limping faster. "You've returned with Link at our time of greatest need, but I'm afraid I have bad news!"

"What's going on?" Kelli asked with slight nervousness, sensing trouble.

"The village was raided by monsters and they took his majesty hostage! We tried to stop them, but they were much too strong."

"What?" Kelli gasped, her nervousness turning into fear. "How?"

The guard carefully explained the event to both warriors, who listened with all ears. Daphnes was speaking with a few of the guards, including the one sent to the field to keep a sharp eye out for Kelli's re-arrival. Within the next few minutes, a sharp reptilian cry echoed from above and a pair of dinosaur-like creatures dropped from the sky. Like the Lizalfos Link and Kelli had encountered earlier, these had strangely colored eyes and showed unheard-of intelligence. Despite that they were carrying swords, they did not attack anyone in the village, but instead immediately snatched Daphnes by his arms and bolted for the exit.

"Sounds like Dinolfos," Link interpreted.

"I thought that's what they were," the guard agreed. "I also noticed something big flying in the sky above us as well, probably what brought the creatures there in the first place. After the other soldiers and I gave chase, I managed to attack one of the monsters, but they shoved me away. I tripped on a tree root and slammed into a wall."

"Hmm…" Kelli replied, her mind wandering to new ideas. "I may know what that flying creature was, but I can't say for sure. Did anyone see where the Dinolfos were taking the King after they escaped the village?"

"I rushed to the stairs for that very reason and spotted them heading for the castle," the guard continued. "I fear they've locked the King up in the dungeon. Oh how our poor castle has suffered…!"

"Blast! I knew we had little time, but I never imagined how little," Kelli fumed with concern. "Link, you saw what happened to the castle, didn't you? We must both go after his majesty."

"Agreed," Link replied. "The guard said the monsters responsible for his capture were very strong, which means those guarding the dungeon are likely to be similar, if not stronger. One of us going alone would definitely be unwise."

"My thoughts exactly. Let's go," Kelli agreed and then returned her attention to the guard. "As for you and the few other guards, it seems the monsters have already come for what they want and shouldn't be back for awhile, if at all. Are you still able to fight?"

"Yeah, I should be fine once the pain in my leg goes away," the guard assured.

"Then you know what to do. Just in case, keep your guard up!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the guard obeyed and returned to his post as quickly as he'd come out. Link and Kelli turned their horses in the direction of Hyrule Castle Town and headed off, these events weighing heavily upon their minds. For a trip to the castle in its current state would surely not be pleasant, especially when the enemy they faced was apparently intelligent enough to know a means of giving already dangerous creatures the intellect to become even more deadly. Whoever this new villain was, he surely had to be more dangerous and menacing than even Ganondorf, which meant both Link and Kelli needed to be prepared for anything and everything.


	2. The Royal Rescue

Chapter Two: The Royal Rescue

After he and Kelli dismounted their horses at the all but destroyed drawbridge and entered Hyrule Castle Town, Link nearly stopped dead in his tracks upon looking at the state of his surroundings. Where once there was a thriving city jammed to the gills with merchants and their patrons, games and their players, windows alit with candles and children and dogs chasing each other down crowded cobblestone streets was now a mausoleum. Houses, shops and Goddesses know what else had been torn asunder, rubble littering the cracked and soot covered cobblestones. Well, it wasn't just soot but Link tried not to imagine what else he was standing on. Much of the damage looked to be caused by fires, several of which were still burning, that had been allowed to rage uncontrolled in the city. The air was thick with ashes and flies which danced amidst the smoky air and fog while maggots squirmed about the cobblestones.

This many flies and maggots meant only one thing: dead bodies, and plenty of them. Link was a hardened adventurer, stoic and impossible to frighten in even the most terrible situations, but he suddenly felt dizzy when he contemplated whether or not any of the friends he was searching for might be amongst this carnage.

Had he spotted the mummy-like creatures with golden eyes which haunted the town square a moment later, he might've added himself to it. Link ducked behind what used to be someone's front door and watched the ghouls as they continued to lurch and shuffle about, seemingly paying no attention to him and Kelli at all. Link guessed that they were Gibdos, but as with the Lizalfos and Wolfos from before, he'd never seen any with golden eyes. Nor, for that matter, had Link ever seen this many in one place. Though, from what he'd seen of the ruined city, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised to see undead in what must've been an abundant feeding ground. Kelli, however, eyed them suspiciously for a few seconds, but remained silent. She appeared to be thinking it was rather odd that the creatures were even there at all, probably because this feeding ground looked to be picked clean. Suspecting Kelli knew more about the current situation than he had given her credit for, Link hoped he could inquire about it when they completed their mission.

As Link and Kelli made their way through the fog and into the castle grounds, they quietly crept about so as not to be spotted by any monsters possibly patrolling the area. Whether or not these strange Gibdos still had the ability to paralyze the living with their stare, Link did not care to find out. It didn't help that the fog seemed to grow heavier as they neared the castle either. Still, they pressed on, struggling to figure out their exact location. After mere minutes of wandering through the castle grounds, the fog had become so thick and heavy, Link could not see where he was going and soon found his nearly trembling feet stepping out onto emptiness. Almost producing a scream, Link felt a hand grab the back of his tunic as he was about to fall.

"Whoa! Link, look out!" Kelli gripped the fabric of the tunic as hard as she could, despite that Link was obviously heavier than she was. She quickly pulled Link back up to aid him in regaining his balance and said, "You nearly walked right over a cliff!" Link stood there trying to get a hold of himself as his body turned shaky.

"Good F-Farore," he trembled. "Th-Thanks a lot, Kel. I don't even want to think about what might have happened had you not been here with me." Kelli couldn't agree more. She, too, was having much difficulty making out what was ahead of her in the now dangerous fog. Just the trip to the castle gates was going to be tougher than she anticipated, to say nothing of freeing Daphnes and escorting him safely back to Kakariko.

"I don't blame you," Kelli replied. "This fog has gotten annoying. At least the enemies shouldn't be able to see us either, given that it's both foggy and dark out." Link didn't hesitate to nod, noticing the darkness of the night sky. However, instead of clear, starry skies like in Hyrule Field, the sky above the castle was overcastted by blackened clouds.

As they carefully walked along the edge of the cliff, Link and Kelli finally spotted the castle door several minutes later and managed to get a glimpse of the castle itself, if only faintly. More evil power was radiating from it than it did when Ganondorf had taken over, and the highest towers were completely obscured by the dark clouds. The castle walls had been colored a blood red and obsidian black, giving the castle a foreboding appearance. Many of the windows were either shattered or cracked and then left in place, probably to provide a fatal temptation to any overeager, and unintelligent, intruders. The castle was not alone in this new fashion either, as the area around it had become the home of dead plants and trees wherever they could be seen in the heavy fog, causing the entire area to radiate pure malevolence and the unmistakable promise of death.

However, neither Link nor Kelli had been able to see that there was no bridge leading them to the castle's main gate. The two warriors found their path blocked by a sea of lava, which the cliff surrounded. The rocky island that the castle was sitting on was nestled inside this boiling hot terror, and it left Link and Kelli clueless about how to reach their endangered king. They frantically circled the area for another possible entrance even though the existence of such an area was unlikely. The fog continued its refusal to lift and prevented them from discovering a new path until a light wind began to clear some of it away several minutes later. Revealed was a path sloping down towards the underside of the island and directly beneath the castle. Kelli's eyes widened slightly as she eyed the newly revealed slope, and then brought a hand to her chin.

"You're on to something, aren't you?" Link anticipated.

"Indeed. I think I know exactly where we are," Kelli confirmed with a smile. "You see, Zelda once showed me a secret passage into the dungeon in case we ever needed to use it. I have a hunch this path may be part of it, but I'm not sure."

"Perhaps," Link replied. "Let's find out." The two eagerly began down the sloping path, keeping their footsteps careful due to the lava on either side. Due to the possibility of the fog returning and hindering their sight yet again, they moved as quickly as they could. When the pair finally approached the base, the rock revealed a downward sloping staircase carved into it, leading to the interior below. Was this what Kelli was talking about? If so, why would it go underground instead of straight up to the castle dungeon? Link turned his attention to Kelli hoping she'd have the answers he sought.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm positive Zelda never mentioned this part," Kelli quickly defended herself, sensing Link's thoughts. "I guess we have no choice but to go in though."

Deciding perhaps it was yet another change to the castle's design, Link followed Kelli down the dark staircase and into a dimly lit corridor. Kelli immediately scrutinized her surroundings when the two reached the base of the stairs, as if to expect someone to appear at any minute. Link guessed she was trying to determne if the area was familiar, but her continued silence indicated that it was new to her. All they could see were rugged walls lined with small torches forming a straight corridor, with yet another staircase carved at the end of it. Link and Kelli rushed through as quickly as their feet would carry them, but just before they could set foot on the next staircase, several high pitched shrieks echoed off the walls and within seconds, bat-like creatures launched themselves from the ceiling to swoop down upon two warriors.

"GAH! What the—?" Link exclaimed, a feeling of shock running through his body as the bat creatures continued to attack him.

"Ugh, Keese and their terrible timing!" Kelli complained as Keese after Keese sank their tiny fangs into her as well. "Ouch! Link, you know the Spin Attack, don't you? If we stand back to back, we can double our attack by pointing our blades in opposite directions!"

"Seriously? Let's do it!"

With that, the two immediately joined their backs with one another's and latched their free arms together to perform Kelli's technique. The attack clove through every Keese in range within seconds as the pair spun several times. With the creatures out of the way, Kelli and Link scrambled up the next staircase in hopes that they would at last reach their destination. To their pleasure, the next chamber they ended up in was different than the corridor they had come from, bearing smooth stone walls and torches far more ornamental than those of the corridor. The only odd difference was that a few of the torches were not burning, rendering the light even dimmer than before. What's more, what was expected to be another door in this new chamber was merely a stone wall creating an abrupt end to the path.

"…Oh, this is just swell," Kelli groused after a few moments, bringing her hands to her hips. "Got any ideas?"

"Nope," Link replied after thinking for the next few minutes. "…Well, this stinks."

"Agreed. We can't just go back, though…"

"You said this was a secret passage, right?" Link recalled, and Kelli nodded in response. "Maybe one of these walls is a false wall? Only one way to find out."

With that, Link began running back and forth along the length of the corridor striking his sword against seemingly every stone in every wall until, several minutes and more than a few remarks from Kelli about wasting time, he found one section of the wall which gave a hollow echo.

"It's got to be this one," Link surmised, stepping back to examine the whole section of wall. "But, I kinda doubt a simple bomb could blow this open."

"Maybe you're not supposed to," Kelli suggested. "If this was an escape passage, it would make for them to be able to close it back up so they couldn't be followed. There must be a lever or a switch or a pulley or something to open it."

"I'm just hoping it's on _this_ side of the door, otherwise we're stuck."

"I guess all we can do is nose around for a switch or something that opens the wall."

"Good idea. …Hey, there's a torch here on the ground," Link noted, pointing to a brown hand torch lying at his feet. "I'll add some more light in here." With that, Link plucked the torch from the floor and began using it to ignite one unlit torch after another along the wall. Just as the final one had its fire reignited, however, the ground rumbled beneath the feet of the two warriors. Link quickly leaned against the wall with the torch still in his hand. Kelli attempted to follow his example, but found herself on the ground after losing her balance.

"Ugh, what did you do now?" she complained, clinging to the wall next to her.

"No idea," Link replied, nearly losing his footing himself. "Wait, look!" He pointed to the opposite wall, a portion of which was slowly opening to reveal a fairly large pull switch protruding from the hidden interior behind it.

"Well, now there's something you don't see every day," Link opined, his eyebrows arching straight to his hairline. Kelli merely chuckled.

"Hehe, leave it to the Hero of Time to light the way forward," she teased with a smile. "That switch looks really heavy though. It'll probably take both of us to pull it."

"Heh, I'll say. This thing is huge for a switch," Link pointed out. Kelli nodded as the two immediately reached for the switch, which was fortunately large enough for both of them to grasp with two hands. Although Link was undeniably stronger than Kelli, the two pulled as hard as their combined strength would allow them. Unfortunately, the switch would not budge even an inch. Suddenly, as the pair attempted to increase the strength of their pull, the switch shot outward at blinding speed and sent the two flying backwards due to the momentum they'd gathered.

"WHOA!" Link bellowed as he soared into the wall behind him back first. "Augh!" Kelli ended up stacked on top of him. Seconds later, the stone wall Link had discovered to be hollow slowly slid open.

"Ow…" Kelli groaned. "Sorry." She scrambled off of Link immediately afterward.

"I'm fine, don't worry. But holy cuccos, what was _that_ all about?" Link asked, scratching the back of his head.

"No idea. At least we can press on."

"True."

With that, the two young warriors proceeded through the newly opened passage and found themselves in a large chamber filled with more corridors. Prison cells lined the walls on either side of them, which no doubt indicated that this was the castle dungeon. More torches on the walls were the only source of light in the room; however this time there were more of them, rendering this area brighter than the previous tunnels Link and Kelli had gone through. The pair remained as quiet and hidden as possible in case of guards patrolling the corridors. What's more, the entire dungeon was so big, there was no way it would be easy to find where Daphnes was being held.

"Pretty tricky," Kelli commented, drawing a raised eyebrow from Link. "That passage we just came through was planted there to throw us off. It was only supposed to _look_ like a dead end in case anybody found the tunnel and tried to sneak in."

"What? Oh, yeah. That would explain why it appeared to lead us below the dungeon instead of right to it," Link added.

"Exactly. I suggest we split up and cover more ground in here," Kelli proposed. "We'll find his majesty quicker that way. I'll take the left side."

"Good plan. I'll head in the opposite direction then." However, just when the pair was about to separate, Kelli suddenly gasped.

"Wait, get back here!" she urged and pulled Link back into the previous room by the back of his tunic.

"Wah!"

"Shush!"

"Geez," Link said quietly. "Cut that out! What are you trying to do, choke me?"

"No, listen. I heard footsteps coming from my direction," Kelli explained. "…And look!" Staying completely out of sight by retreating into the previous room, they watched as two Dinolfos guards, or so it appeared on first glance, marched past them seemingly on patrol. Closer inspection revealed more armor and lances instead of swords clutched in the dinosaur-like creatures' hands. Link's eyebrow arched once more as he watched the guards disappear around a corner.

"Those can't be Dinolfos, can they?" Link inquired once he was sure he wouldn't be heard by the enemy.

"No, they aren't. These are Armosaurs. They're like Dinolfos, only armored and basically better equipped," Kelli explained. "And, of course, they're smarter."

"That's bad news," Link quickly replied, his eyes widening slightly. "All the more reason to split up then. But hold on a second, I just noticed. You've been hearing and seeing things that I can't. What is with that?" Kelli paused and allowed her eyes to close once more before answering.

"Let's just say the power I wield allows me to easily detect the creatures we've met. I'll explain to you in greater detail later on. Right now we have a more important issue to deal with."

"Fair enough. Let's just get going before anymore of these guys show up."

With that, the two immediately separated and headed down different corridors. Link carefully, quietly, and cautiously walked about, keeping an eye and ear out for anymore guards as well as Daphnes. However, getting around wasn't the least bit easy. Armosaur and Dinolfos guards seemed to be around every corner. Soon enough, Link recalled how he used to incapacitate the Gerudo guards at their fortress with a bow in order to get past them and rescue a group of carpenters during his adventure as the Hero of Time. Shooting through the gaps in the Armosaurs' armor might prove to be a challenge, but Link decided to try it anyway. Taking out his old Hero's Bow from Termina, he quietly notched an arrow to the string and shot any guards he saw to death, allowing him to roam freely through the corridors. No cell, however, seemed to contain Daphnes and the longer it took, the more difficult the search would probably become.

Sooner or later, somebody was going to notice the dead guards had stopped making their rounds and would send someone to investigate. Link considered trying to hide the bodies, but he quickly dismissed the notion. The Armosaurs and Dinolfos bodies were too heavy to lug around and there simply was not place to conceal them. Their only chance was to work fast.

Meanwhile, Kelli had decided on the same tactic and used her own bow to take out guards in the corridors she was exploring. However, she was unable to find any sign of Daphnes as well, and was beginning to consider rejoining Link in hopes he'd found something. Just before she could make her decision, however, she came upon a door instead of the usual turns and walls of the castle dungeon. Out of curiosity, she quietly turned the knob, opened the door, and peeked inside. From the small size and various locks, cuffs, and other dungeon supplies, it was obviously just a storage room, but something out of the ordinary lay on a small table that stood against the left wall. It was a dirt-stained, partially torn envelope with another sheet of parchment poking out of it. Immediately picking it up, it didn't take long for Kelli to notice her name was written on it.

"Hey…could this possibly be…?" she wondered. She plucked the parchment out of the envelope, and from her widening eyes as she read the words written on it, it had indeed been what she'd guessed. The letter read:

_To the best friend I ever had,_

_Kelli, where are you? I've been waiting a long time to see you again. After hearing that you came back home, I thought if I wrote you a letter, you'd not forget to come find me. I figure it wouldn't be easy with what I've been doing these days, so this letter should help make it less difficult for you. Remember our special place back in Kakariko? You know, that area next to the windmill that overlooks the cucco pen and the house behind it. Wouldn't it be awesome if we met there? I hope you will come when we both get the chance. I'm afraid I can't make it for awhile, though, because I—_

The letter cut off there due to a portion of it having been ripped off. However, the bottom of the sheet of parchment was still there, and another name was the only legible word written there. It read _Judo_. When Kelli laid eyes upon this, she couldn't help but let tears build up in her eyes. Whether she was happy or sad, she could not decide, gripped the letter hard enough to crinkle it, and dropped to her knees.

"Oh…Judo…" Kelli muttered as tears trailed down her face. "I'm so sorry… I miss you…"

Her closest friend in childhood, Judo, had been waiting for her. Clearly, he hadn't been able to send his letter, so where was he now? Was he safe at this moment or even alive with the danger that had pervaded the kingdom? Wishing she could answer those questions, Kelli's trance was broken when she heard more footsteps coming her way. She quickly dove under the table with the letter and envelope still in her hands and watched another pair of Armosaur guards amble on by. Afterwards, Kelli immediately departed the storage room and put the letter away in a satchel attached to her belt for safe-keeping.

Suddenly, as Kelli was passing by a corridor to her left, another pair of footsteps came bolting down the same area and Link eventually slammed chest first into her. As a result, Kelli was pushed backwards and stubbed the back of her foot over a loose cobblestone in the floor. Kelli screamed in pain as her heel made contact with the hard stone floor. She and Link tumbled to the floor as Kelli's voice echoed throughout the area, most likely alerting the remaining patrol guards. Within seconds, Link was lying on top of Kelli this time around.

"Link!" Kelli beamed after she and Link hit the floor. "What in blazes are you doing?"

"Sorry," Link replied. "I was running because I thought one of those monsters was after me." Before Kelli could make her reply, the two were suddenly grabbed fiercely by their arms and dragged away. Link and Kelli looked around to find that four Dinolfos and Armosaur guards had discovered them and were now taking them to their own cell. The two attempted to break free, but with their hands and arms firmly in their captors' grip, they could do nothing except give in. Within the next few minutes, Link and Kelli were both tossed into one fairly large cell together and locked up. Having been thrown to the floor, they stood up and brushed themselves off.

"Great! Now look what's happened!" Kelli fumed with a grimace and pointed an angry finger. "This is all your fault, Link!"

"What? My fault? You were the one who had to scream so loud the whole castle could probably hear you!" Link retorted angrily.

"Well if _you_ hadn't made me stub my foot, I wouldn't have had to scream in the first place!"

"Oh give me a break! It couldn't have hurt that bad!"

"Well it did! Thanks a lot!" Link was about to make his reply when another voice nearby spoke up instead.

"What in the world? How did you two get in there?" the voice wondered, the tone drowsy as if he'd just been awoken from a fitful slumber. It was a deep male voice, and by the sound of it, it was no doubt Daphnes.

"Huh?" Link replied, wondering where the voice was. Kelli looked around and soon spotted none other than Daphnes himself locked up in the cell across from them.

"Oh what luck. Your majesty, I'm glad you're safe," Kelli replied in relief.

"Indeed. I'm relieved that you've brought Link. I suppose one of the guards at Kakariko told you I was here?"

"Yes, sire. I'm sorry we've let ourselves get captured like this," Kelli apologized. "But you know your castle well. Do you know how we can escape?"

"Unfortunately, I don't. This castle has changed so much that even I don't know where some things are anymore," Daphnes replied sadly. "All I know is that the only path to the first floor has been completely barricaded."

"Well, that sure won't help us…"

"Unfortunately. Now what happened?" Daphnes wondered. Kelli spoke up and began explaining the incident in the corridor before Link could utter a word.

"After I left the storage room, Link here had to come and mess things up by slamming into me and causing me to trip!" she finished.

"I did not!" Link snapped back. "You didn't need to scream so loud and alert all the monsters! And what's the big idea taking all this anger out on me? Before, you were calm and serious, now you're screaming your lungs at me for a little incident in the corridor!"

"Both of you, come now, this is no time to argue," Daphnes interrupted in. "And Kelli, you do seem to be quite out of sorts. In fact, you look like you could burst into tears at any second."

"Well, I…" Kelli began, but wasn't able to prevent more tears from interrupting her and dropped to her knees again. "I'm sorry…"

"And now you're crying for no reason," Link grunted and leaned against the wall with his arms folded. "You really are a weirdo."

"Shut up!" Kelli retorted in a grimace. "I have a very good reason to be upset!" She then pulled Judo's Letter from her satchel and held it out in front of her where both Link and Daphnes could see it.

"Is that what I think it is?" Daphnes inquired, his eyes growing wide. "A letter from young Judo?"

"You…you know him, your majesty?" Kelli blurted in confusion, some of her grief vanishing.

"I certainly do. Let me see the letter."

Kelli made no hesitation to hand the letter over to Daphnes through the bars of her cell. Daphnes immediately began looking over it worriedly, as if he were expecting to see something in it. Did Daphnes know something about Judo's whereabouts? Or was he unsure of where the young man was as well and hoped the letter would provide at least a clue? Link spied Kelli wringing her hands as Daphnes squinted at the letter, and suddenly found himself wondering just how much she had been hiding from him.

"Hmm…very unfortunate that this message is incomplete," Daphnes commented. "Judo told me about your friendship with him, Kelli, and—wait, what's this?" With that, he turned the letter over and allowed his eyes to widen even more.

"What's wrong?" Link quickly said, hoping it was nothing bad.

"There's a map of the whole castle on the back of this. Well, a map of what it looked like before it became this evil infested place, that is," Daphnes replied. "I guess Judo didn't have anything else to write his letter on. However, fortunately for us, the section showing the dungeon is still on here."

"Oh, wonderful. Does it show a way out of here?" Kelli inquired.

"As a matter of fact, it does. There's a secret passage right behind your cell. There isn't any way for me to escape though. I designed this dungeon myself and ensured there were _many_ places where the keys could be safely hidden. Never thought I'd be sorry for doing something _too_ well."

"Don't worry, we'll figure out something ," Link assured him. With that, he and Kelli began scrutinizing their entire cell for a switch or something of the sort to open the hidden passage. It was hard to do so in the dark, but with the sense of touch, the two had no trouble feeling their way around the rocky walls of the cell they were in. It took only minutes for Kelli to finally touch a portion of rock that moved slightly into the wall. The imprisoned trio then heard the grinding sound of rock moving against rock and turned to see the back wall of the cell slowly creak open to reveal another dark passageway.

"Bingo," she opined with pleasure. "Time to ditch this creepy cell."

"Here, take this letter back so you can find your way here again," Daphnes advised. Kelli nodded and stuffed Judo's Letter back into her satchel. She and Link immediately started into the hidden passage and quickly followed it back into the main chamber of the dungeon. It led them close to the area where they'd first split up, and once arriving at the end and opening the second secret door, Kelli pulled Judo's Letter from her bag and looked at the map of the dungeon on it. Daphnes was only a few corridors down, and upon quickly heading there, the king of Hyrule was relieved to see the two young warriors return so soon. Before any of the three could say something, however, several noises sounded forth from the other end of the corridor.

"Footsteps!" Daphnes gasped. "The guards are coming this way!"

"Oh no, they're not taking us this time!" Kelli assured. On that note, Kelli drew her blade, followed by Link drawing his own. A trio of two Dinolfos and one Armosaur had come bolting down the corridor with glares on their faces. The battle commenced when Kelli's blade clashed with that of the Armosaur while Link blocked the attacks of the Dinolfos, one with his sword and the other with his shield. Kelli smiled when she noticed the navy eye color of the Armosaur and quickly raised her blade behind her, gripping it with two hands. All of a sudden, a yellow sun-shaped emblem appeared on her forehead while her sword was enveloped in a golden glow. Kelli's irises became a bright golden as well as she leaped into the air and launched what appeared to be some sort of charged jump attack. Once Kelli's blade made contact, the creature crashed to the floor in defeat, the sound of shattering metal and breaking bones echoing deafeningly in the corridor. Link, meanwhile, had used a spin attack to strike the two Dinolfos. However, he was soon distracted by Kelli's technique and didn't notice one of the Dinolfos strike him in the head with its clawed hand, sending him sprawling to the floor.

"Augh!"

Link rolled onto his back to see the Dinolfos towering above him and was about to launch himself to his feet when an arrow shot into his line of sight and buried itself in the creature's neck. The dead, bleeding creature inevitably landed on Link and it took some minutes to shove the stinking, dead reptile off of the now equally smelly Link.

"It's gonna take days to get this smell out of my tunic," Link complained, feeling the wound on his head. "That thing got it's claws into me, but it wasn't deep. Some red potion should do the trick."

"Link, you idiot! This is no time to be daydreaming!" Kelli fumed, irritatingly. "And good Goddesses, that smell on you is terrible!"

"I know, I screwed up again…" Link admitted. "I'm so sorry. What you did to that Armosaur amazed me. But hey, they dropped a cell key."

"That's a relief," Daphnes replied with a sigh. "And I don't blame you, Link. Kelli possesses power that isn't easy to explain. Not even I completely understand it."

"I don't completely understand it either, to be honest," Kelli added. "While I know more than enough to use it properly, there are still questions I have about it that are yet to be answered."

"Well, perhaps stopping whoever has invaded Hyrule will provide the answers," Link suggested and plucked the cell key from the floor. "For now though, we should focus on what's most important at the moment. Somebody will have heard that commotion, so we should be going."

"I agree and my thanks to both of you. Now we must escape immediately before more of these creatures decide to show up," Daphnes advised. With that, Link quickly unlocked the king's cell, but before anyone could go anywhere, Kelli raised a firm hand.

"Hang on one second," Kelli interrupted. She then allowed the sun emblem to reappear on her forehead once more and her irises to glow golden. Her hair slightly stood on end for a second until the glow and emblem vanished. Link shook his head in shock once more, feeling that this girl grew more mysterious every minute.

"Alright, we're clear," Kelli continued. "We defeated all the guards, so it's safe to escape."

"Good. We shouldn't run into anymore trouble then," Daphnes commented, apparently satisfied with Kelli's assurances. With that, the trio quickly headed back into the hidden underground passage leading outside. While they evaded further detection on the castle grounds as carefully as possible, Kelli explained her theory about the secret dungeon entrance having been altered to throw intruders off as well as the incident that had occurred before she and Link even arrived in Hyrule. Although these events worried Daphnes and he certainly did not want the problem to spread to any other inhabited areas outside Hyrule, he knew what he needed to be more concerned about. Whatever manner of evil had overtaken Hyrule had conquered its castle and capital with ease and captured its sovereign deftly; even if they didn't leave the kingdom to spread their foul presence to other lands, their presence in Hyrule could be catastrophic. Within minutes, they were all racing through what was left of the town and re-entering Hyrule Field.

Along the way, Link suddenly recalled something Kelli had said before they had gone to Kakariko. She claimed to know someone who could tell him the whereabouts of his friends and whether or not they were safe. If she was referring to Daphnes, Link knew it was as good a time as any to inquire about it. Sure enough, the chance came as they were forced to stop in Hyrule Field; Daphnes' captors had not been kind to him and the adventurers decided they would have to tend his wounds as best they could.

"Your majesty, do you know anything about what's going on in other parts of the kingdom? I need to know if my friends are alright."

Kelli eyed Link in a less-than-friendly manner as she pulled open what was left of Daphnes' robes and rubbed red and blue potion over what looked like whip scars.

"Well, Link, I'm afraid to say that the entire land has been attacked," Daphnes grimly replied, wincing at the burning sensation of the disinfectant struck him. "I can't speak for every Goron, Kokiri, Gerudo, Hylian, and Zora out there, nor can I speak for Lon Lon Ranch, but if you're referring to the Sages and my daughter…"

"…They've been captured, haven't they?" Link guessed from the reluctant expression on the king's face.

"I wish I could say no," Daphnes confirmed. "I'm not sure where the Sages are, but Impa vanished without a trace during the attack on the castle, and the rest of them were reported missing in their respective homes. As for my poor Zelda…"

The King's voice took on the cadence of a broken man, and not just from the harsh treatment his captors had given him. His eyes seemed lightless and his face pinched with age far beyond his many years. His shoulders sagged and his arms and hands seemed to tremble like leaves in an autumn wind.

"Perhaps I can explain that," Kelli stepped in, sensing Daphnes was in no condition to speak. "I know how hard this is for you, sire. Link, I believe the princess is being held somewhere within that dark castle. I may not have detected anymore monsters in the dungeon, but above us, I could easily pick up tremendous amounts of the same power they wield. They're probably guarding something and considering that Zelda holds a piece of the Triforce, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the princess herself."

"Blast! Everything we did to prevent the dark future Ganondorf brought…" Link fumed angrily. "I won't stand for this! I must rescue them!"

"And I would like to entrust you with the task of finding the Sages again," Daphnes agreed. "However, you'll need Kelli's help. She's the only one who knows anything about the monsters that are responsible."

"And I will," Kelli added. "But… Your majesty… Can't you tell me anything about Judo's whereabouts? I need to see him again…"

"I understand. From what the young man has told me, the friendship you two shared as children was beautiful and unbreakable," Daphnes recalled, the barest hint of a smile on his forlorn features. "However, the last time I spoke to him, he told me he was planning on a journey of sorts and that he wanted to write to you before leaving. Unfortunately, I haven't seen him since. Besides that, I'm pretty sure he can explain everything to you in better words than I."

"Oh…" Kelli replied, staring at the ground in disappointment. "Well then, I'm going to find him. I was the one who left him seven years ago and I'll be the one to return to him. It's only fair and I'm sure he really misses me."

"Then it's best if you return to Kakariko with me," Daphnes proposed. "Judo was born and raised there, if I remember correctly, so it's the best place to begin looking for clues. And fortunately for everyone else, you can also keep an eye out for anymore monsters."

"Yes, I'll certainly do my best," Kelli agreed. "Link, since we'll be apart for awhile, I'll teach this to you so I can still aid you. This song was given to me a long time ago to enable my friends and allies to easily request my assistance. I feel you will need to use it as well."

"A song that lets me talk to you? Definitely," Link replied and raised the Ocarina of Time to his lips, the memories of Saria and her own telepathic melody returning to him. Kelli immediately hummed several notes two times over to ensure Link would easily memorize and repeat it. The melody was not only beautiful, but it also possessed a mysterious aura, just as Kelli herself seemed to.

"Ah yes, excellent idea," Daphnes agreed. "Now we must take our leave. I wish both of you luck in your searches." After thanking the king, Link mounted Epona and began riding across Hyrule Field. Knowing he definitely wanted to find Saria first, Link made his first destination the Kokiri Forest. Still, he was now highly curious about Kelli and her power as well as the monsters he had recently encountered. What was the connection between the two that allowed the girl to detect them so easily? Figuring the answers would come to him in due time, Link shifted his focus on his original home, the Kokiri Forest. He could only hope that this new evil had not done worse to it than Ganondorf had.


	3. Mysterious Occurrences

Chapter 3: Mysterious Occurrences

As Link rode across Hyrule Field and carefully avoided detection by the various monsters wandering the area, he was unable to take his mind off of Saria. For many years prior to his adventure as the Hero of Time, she was the only friend he had; the other Kokiri were either blandly polite to him or very nearly hostile towards him. Saria, by contrast, had practically raised him like a mother. Well, a mother who would look like a ten year old until the day she died. That train of thought led Link to another; how old was Saria, really? For all he knew, had she been a Hylian, she might very well be old enough to be his grandmother. Shaking off that confusing, and mildly disturbing, train of thought, he turned his thoughts back to the Kokiri Forest instead. He knew it was surely overrun with evil, as the rest of Hyrule had been; Ganondorf had infested the Kokiri settlement with monsters that kept the Kokiri trapped indoors until Link's intervention saved them. That none of them recognized him was a blow, though hardly surprising since the notion of 'growing up' was unknown to them, but that they regretted how they treated him in the past helped ease the pain.

Memories began returning to Link while he struggled to hold back tears. What's more, this wasn't even about Saria alone anymore, he knew. There were still five other sages out there, six if Zelda was counted, as she was the leader and Sage of Wisdom. Darunia, the Sage of Fire and leader of the Goron Tribe, came to mind as well. Link had never met someone as stalwart and loyal as him. Link had won Darunia's loyalty by irradiating the Dodongos that had infested the Dodongo's Cavern and cut off the Goron's food supply, and then again by saving the Gorons from being fed to the dragon Volvagia by Ganondorf. Darunia had vowed to fight Volvagia, despite lacking the Megaton Hammer with which the dragon had been vanquished once before long ago; though the act had nearly proven suicidal, Link could not help but admire Darunia's devotion to his people.

Impa, the last of the Sheikah Tribe and Zelda's attendant, was the Sage of Shadow. Of the Sages, Link knew her perhaps the least since she was duty minded and hardly the chatty sort. Her reputation, and Zelda's stories however, told him she was a woman of integrity with a heart the size of Hyrule itself. Rauru, the ancient Sage of Light, was also little known to Link, save for that Rauru had ensured Link rested safely as his body strengthened after his first attempt to draw the Master Sword had allowed Ganondorf to enter the Sacred Realm. All Link really knew about Rauru was that he owed the ancient Sage his life; and, that was enough.

Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit and the leader of the Gerudo tribe, had set Link on edge with her humorous flirting, which seemed less humorous when she made a telling comment about how pleased she was with his adult form. She led the Gerudo, Ganondorf's people, but saw Ganondorf for the monster he was immediately. This knowledge, however, did not stop Ganondorf from using his spells to turn her into his pawn after her abduction by the Gerudo witches Koume and Kotake. When Ganondorf had been exposed to Daphnes as the villain he was, Nabooru, along with Daruina and Ruto, petitioned for his execution. When they were denied, they were, to put it mildly, _displeased_.

Ruto, princess of the Zoras and Sage of Water, was the only Sage Link was reluctant to find. During his quest as the Hero of Time, Link had enlisted her "help" in acquiring the Zora's Sapphire, one of the keys to open the Door of Time and claim the Master Sword. What Link failed to understand was that the Zora's Sapphire was also the Zora's Engagement Ring. When Link met Ruto again as an adult in the dark future, she was quite determined to marry him and Link was quite determined to not let that happen. He had no idea if time had seen fit to assuage Ruto's delusions; the last time he saw her, she was too busy pointing in Ganondorf's general direction and scream "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" to take notice of Link, but he supposed he'd find out soon enough.

Since Saria was still his main focus for the time being, Link continued to ponder about her whereabouts and recall memories of his friendship with her. The notion that this new, enigmatic evil might have already killed her continued to creep into his mind and Link rode faster. Navi snapped him out of his trance and broke the silence minutes later.

"Hey, Link…"

"…Huh? Oh. Sorry," Link replied, shaking his head and almost not hearing his fairy partner's voice. "What's up?"

"I'm not sure I like that girl. I mean Kelli," Navi admitted.

"Why do you say that?" Link wondered, arching an eyebrow. "I mean, I'll admit she's rather mysterious, but that doesn't mean she's an enemy. Besides, you remember Sheik?" Navi hesitated before replying.

"Who could forget him...or her...or whatever; and it isn't that. Kelli's attitude back in the castle dungeon rather tested my nerves, especially when you mistakenly slammed into her in the corridor."

"Maybe, but now that I think about it again, we were both at fault for that. And don't forget Kelli's best friend is apparently missing. I'd be very upset too if I found a torn letter a close friend tried to send me, only to find that that same friend has mysteriously vanished. Heck, I've got a bunch of missing friends and I'm so worried about them I can barely see straight."

"I guess that's true," Navi gave in with a sigh. "Though I still think she could've been a little more tactful."

"Yeah, well, that's not a real reason to dislike her," Link countered. "Besides, we only just met her. Give her a chance, alright?"

"I guess." Link smiled warmly.

"That's better. Although…"

"Yes?"

"Well, I was remembering the past just now and Kelli's mention made me think of something I always thought to be unusual," Link explained, his voice taking on a meditative tone. "A long time ago, before the Deku Tree summoned me, Saria told me I reminded her of a friend she once had in the forest."

"I don't get your meaning."

Link elaborated and spoke of how Saria said that this child, like Link, had no guardian fairy and was ignored by the rest of the Kokiri. Mido had his way with the child as well with constant bullying, which was no surprise at all to Link. He had received the very same treatment in his own youth, although he mostly ignored it. Saria then told him her friend left the forest a year before, as the child was meant to leave someday, much like Link had been. It was this statement in particular that Link viewed as odd.

"All I'm saying is that I think Kelli was that very same child," he finished. "Didn't you see what she was wearing? It was a tunic and boots like those of the Kokiri, only slightly different colors."

"Hey, you're right. Though her tunic was more of a bluish green," Navi recalled. "And those boots…kind of a bright brownish orange."

"Exactly. The only question I have is if that child was Kelli, why had I never seen her before? Saria said her friend left a year before she told me this story and I lived in the forest from when I was a baby until I was ten."

"Yeah, that is strange. I think only she or Saria could answer that, though."

"Or perhaps Mido. Either way, I think it's best that we not mention this to Kelli yet," Link advised. "She seemed very reluctant to talk about the forest before and she's upset enough as it is."

"Agreed."

With that, Link continued guiding Epona towards the entrance to the Kokiri Forest. Even though Saria and the other Kokiri remained children until they died, that had no effect on his friendship with them. That sentiment, however, cut both ways. Link had not forgotten how most of them had treated him when he was a boy, and the Kokiri adopting him as their favorite big brother after he freed their home from Ganondorf had eased the pain, but had not put him in a forgiving mood. Saria, however, was an exception since she had always been his friend and she alone knew that the Boy with No Fairy and the stranger the Kokiri looked up to, both in admiration and quite literally, were one and the same. In fact, Link often felt like Saria was really an adult trapped inside of a child's body due to her maturity, though he resolved not to revisit the rather confusing question of her real age. However, he then was reminded once more of Mido, the self-proclaimed leader of the Kokiri. Not only did he shun Link, but he seemed to be jealous of him all the time as well for being better friends with Saria or having been summoned by the Great Deku Tree, the Guardian Spirit of the forest who had died due to a curse from Ganondorf. Link could only hope that now he was grown up, Mido would cease his old behavior if he ever recognized him.

_Don't you have more important things to worry about like, oh, say, saving the kingdom?_ his common sense berated him, which it usually did given Link's penchant for charging into danger.

Well, he did. Besides, even if Mido could wrap his head around the concept of 'growing up,' that was best done after Hyrule was safe again.

Upon bringing Epona to a halt at the tunnel entrance of the Kokiri Forest, Link opened his mouth for a big, sleepy yawn. It had become rather late in the night and he had grown quite exhausted from the adventure in the castle dungeon. Link wouldn't be surprised if Epona was the same after how much she had traveled. Epona descended to the ground immediately after he dismounted her, confirming Link's assumption that she, too, needed a rest. Link then sat down next to her and shed his sheath and bandoleer.

"I think I'll rest a bit before…looking for…Saria…" he mused aloud, leaning himself against Epona's side and yawning once more.

"But Link, we—", Navi attempted to protest. Before she could finish, Link and Epona were already fast asleep and out like a light, Link's hat pulled over his eyes. _Geez, those two really were bushed_, Navi thought. _I suppose I can let them sleep for the night. I'm rather tired myself._ She then landed on Link's shoulder and eventually dozed off as well.

Meanwhile, Kakariko Village was enveloped in darkness, though, thankfully, the darkness of the night since the evil had yet to encroach upon the village, at the foot of Death Mountain, the highest point in Hyrule as well as a deadly volcano. Sitting against the tree nearest to the village entrance was Kelli. She had also become exhausted from the events in the castle dungeon. As she sat there, growing sleepier by the minute, her thoughts wandered from who was responsible for Hyrule's new perils, to Judo's whereabouts, to whether or not the village would remain safe if she fell asleep. Everyone else, including Daphnes, had also turned in for the night and now it was so quiet, one could hear a twig drop. The only signs of life that remained active were various nocturnal insects and birds, and even they weren't making much noise. After much pondering and growing boredom, Kelli's drooping eyelids finally gave in and closed several minutes later. However, her peaceful slumber and the night silence would not last long.

Something had begun moving through the village at a fairly quick pace. The first thing to stir Kelli even slightly was a faint ringing noise coming from somewhere behind her. Thinking it was only her imagination, she attempted to drift back to sleep. However, she didn't think so anymore once a series of shattering noises startled her enough to shock her to full wakefulness. Kelli immediately sprang up, although still half asleep, upon hearing the noise.

"Huh, wha…? Who's there?" she called out. There was no response. The area became virtually silent once more. Whoever or whatever had caused the incident had vanished, though Kelli felt as if she'd heard the ringing sound before in the past. However, as hard as she tried to, she was unable to place it. _It reminds me of the noise that fairy of Link's makes_, Kelli thought. _What was her name? Navi? But it couldn't have been her. Maybe it was a monster trying to trick me?_ She decided the only thing to do was to report to Daphnes.

However, Daphnes had also been awakened by the disruption, and before Kelli could take more than a mere few steps, he was already rushing towards her.

"Kelli! Did you hear all that noise too?" he inquired as he came to a halt in front of her.

"Yeah," Kelli replied. "In fact, I was just about to go report it to you, your majesty."

"Good. What do you suppose that was? I certainly hope the monsters aren't coming back. I fear our defenses would do little to stop them."

"So do I, but somehow, I doubt that's the case," Kelli added, yawning again. "I heard some sort of ringing just before the shattering happened. I have no idea what it was, but I know I've heard it before."

"Hmm… Very strange. We'll have to continue looking into this in the morning. It's rather late to do so now, and I doubt anything could be found in this darkness anyway."

"Understood." Kelli headed for her tree once more after Daphnes walked off. However, just as she was about to sit down, a relatively faint whinny followed by a neigh echoed through the stairs at the entrance. Knowing that sound anywhere, Kelli bolted forward and raced through the village gate. After nearly losing her balance on the stairs, Kelli rushed towards Sunfire, who had been left outside of the village. While Kelli had worried her beloved steed could be attacked out there, she had no choice, as horses obviously could not climb stairs and the stables at the base of the stairs hadn't lasted long with the new evils roaming Hyrule Field. That, and there the fact that Sunfire could alert her of evil presences nearby. Much to Kelli's dismay, however, she found the horse struggling against three Armosaurs, all of which were armed with lances. One was hanging onto the horse's back while the other two were pulling on the reins and saddle. Kelli fretted for a moment over this, as her sword was at a disadvantage against lances, which could strike from beyond the reach of her blade. Still, all she could do was attack.

Thankful that the commotion was outside the village where it wouldn't awaken anyone and cause a panic, Kelli began with a jump attack and leaped through the air, landing her blade squarely in the closest foe's backside. It fell from the single blow much to Kelli's pleasure. However, the other two were not to be so easy. Almost immediately, Kelli noted the golden color of their eyes. _They're even more intelligent than I had anticipated_, she thought. _They were working as a team to take down Sunfire and they timed their move so I'd be away.__But…how could the enemy know me so well or even that I might have been here? Something is very wrong…_

With no choice but to give it her all, Kelli charged forward to rescue her horse. Sunfire had managed to throw her unwanted passenger off her back and into the rocky wall next to the stairs, giving Kelli the opportunity to focus on the other Armosaur. She vaulted over the creature and struck its head, penetrating its helmet. After following up with a leaping spin attack, both creatures were struck and sprawled to the ground at the base of the stairs. Kelli finished with yet another leap and her blade pointing downward, driving it right into the first Armosaur's chest. The one Kelli had not been battling managed to scramble to its feet before she had a chance to finish it. Instead, Kelli merely sheathed her sword until the creature approached her. The Armosaur seemed perplexed by this act, but decided to take advantage of his defenseless foe. Kelli, knowing that timing was everything, fought down the instinct to draw her blade until the perfect moment when the Armosaur was nearly upon her. At the literal last second, her hand found the hilt and her sword leapt from its sheath. Her blade struck it down at what seemed to be lightning speed.

"Ha…ha…" Kelli panted, the exhaustion from the battle coupled with her need for some sleep making her ever so tired. "Maybe now things will stay quiet…"

Kelli's exhaustion caused her to slow her pace on the way back to the tree, but she was ever so relieved when she reached it. It didn't take long for her to fall fast asleep once more after sitting back down, and to begin dreaming. The first thing she saw were images of her wandering through a land that did not resemble Hyrule at all. Then she began to see visions of her childhood. A village appeared, one which very much resembled Kakariko. Kelli was walking towards the same area described as a special place in Judo's Letter, and with her was a light brown-haired boy who was several inches taller than her. When they finished climbing the ladder that led to the cliff where the windmill was, Kelli and the boy looked at the fence that stood in the very back.

The next vision showed Kelli and the same boy from before walking through a dim underground cave which cut into the earth for some leagues before opening into a huge chamber, like some sort of underground temple. A golden-orange hilted sword was resting in an old, cracked pedestal and a shield of the same colors hung upon the cave wall at the very end of the cave's tunnel. Kelli began to feel strange, and couldn't control herself. Something told her to draw the sword and take the shield and couldn't stop herself from doing so. A sun emblem appeared on the back of her hand, glowed a few times, and then vanished into thin air. Immediately after, Kelli and the boy were back in Kakariko and the boy was slowly moving away from her as they bid sad goodbyes for one reason or another. When the boy finally disappeared, Kelli immediately awoke with a start and breathed heavily. Tears formed in her eyes yet again and trickled down her cheeks.

"Judo… Oh, Judo…where could you be?" she sobbed, covering her hands with her face. "Why did all of this have to happen?" Kelli was not able to help but know that the dream she had really envisioned the time she ventured to a far off kingdom as well as when she and Judo found the sword and shield she carried. The two later parted ways and had not seen each other since.

Later the next morning, Link was roused from his slumber by several fierce shrieks. His eyes shot open and he beheld several bird-like creatures called Guays squawking as they attempted to drive their beaks into Navi. Two more were attempting to hold her down by the wings. A neigh turned Link's attention to more of them plowing into Epona. She neighed ferociously as she attempted to use her hooves to kick them away and swung her head about in anger. Navi's ringing noise kept repeating over and over as she tried to escape her persistent attackers. Link gasped at these events and attempted to spring to his feet.

"Oh cru—AHH!" he yelped as one Guay pierced him right in the gut. Link groaned at the pain, but still managed to draw the Great Fairy's Sword and slice it practically in half.

"Link! Help!" Navi squealed. She was struggling to break free from the Guays' grip on her wings. Link immediately whipped out his bow and loosed arrows at them, being careful not to mistakenly hit Navi or Epona. Soon, the birds attacking Navi were on the ground in pieces and she was free. However, Epona suddenly neighed loudly as one more of the creatures, which was significantly larger than the others, struck her hard in the shoulder, lodging itself in the mare's chest. Link plucked it by the neck, inwardly praying that he wasn't tearing one of Epona's muscles in the act, and stabbed it to death with his sword. He attempted to finish the remaining birds with his bow, only to have some escape without so much as a scratch.

"Geez…" Link groaned seconds later, clutching his aching gut once more. "Talk about desperate. Little bastards… Augh…"

"Yeah," Navi added. "That was odd though. I've never seen Guays behave that way. Don't they usually go after weaker prey? And, they seemed coordinated too with the way they tried to pin all of us down at once."

"Huh, now that I think about it, you're right. That _is_ weird. Then again, every monster around here that we've met before seems to have changed."

"No doubt about that…"

"Oh well, now that I'm awake, we'd better get moving."

Link spent the next few minutes examining Epona's wound; if it proved debilitating to the mare, it could prove disastrous. Link was hardly a veterinarian, but the wound seemed shallow so Link rubbed some red potion over it and hoped for the best. With that, Link tossed some carrots on the ground for Epona and entered the tunnel into the Kokiri Forest. He had barely entered its sylvan folds, setting foot on the rope bridge overlooking a portion of the Lost Woods which lead to the village, and already he could see signs that something was amiss. A light fog hovered over the ground like in Castle Town, only this time it seemed to be flowing from somewhere as if blown on the wind or exhaled by some fell beast. Forest monsters such as Deku Baba plants and hole-snouted Deku Scrubs roamed the area below the bridge Link was standing on. Just as he was about to go through the log tunnel into the Kokiri village, a lightly armored skeleton wielding a sword and shield dropped from out of nowhere. Link had met these before. They were Stalfos, undead warriors who fought like the trained swordsman they very likely were in life. So far, Link had seen several types of monsters he was familiar with, the differently colored eyes marking each as having somehow become smarter and deadlier. Was it a result of magical experimentation, or maybe some new breeding technique, perhaps? The notion of what breeding Redeads and Stalfos looked like almost made Link lose his lunch, and almost made him lose his head when the Stalfos reminded the green clad hero of its presence. Whatever the reason for this was, Link drew his sword and engaged in battle anyway.

"I should've known I'd run into one of these boneheads here," Link mumbled to himself as he blocked the creature's attack and returned it with his own. From what Link recalled, the Stalfos's fighting style particularly favored jump attacks, which meant he would need to be cautious of its movements. However, due to the changes in intelligence and even appearance at times with the familiar monsters, Link was also aware that this Stalfos could fight differently if it desired. Unfortunately, the Stalfos's move after receiving a blow only shocked Link. It remained in its stance, drew back its sword, and launched what appeared to be a charged jump attack. Link managed to roll out of the creature's path, but the way it moved was very familiar. Upon scrambling to his feet, Link immediately snuck behind the Stalfos and delivered a spin attack, sending it clean over the side of the bridge. The bleached skull hit a sturdy stump below with an audible crack, and the Stalfos did not get back up.

"Link…" Navi spoke up seconds later after the two were sure the creature was finished. "That move the Stalfos made… We've seen it before."

"Yeah, but I can't put my finger on it," Link replied, scratching the back of his head. "Wait… It's the technique Kelli used in the castle dungeon!"

While Link and Navi mulled over this troubling discovery, Kelli and Daphnes had their own problem to solve. Having recently awoken from their sleep, they were questioning some of the Kakariko villagers and townsfolk about the previous night's incident. Although a lot of them wished they could have been more help, none of them were able to provide a good solid clue as to what could have really happened during that night. All they could uncover was that Kelli seemed to have been the only one to hear a ringing sound similar to that of Navi's and that the shattering noises were all that was heard by anyone else. Whenever their questioning was finished, all Kelli and Daphnes could do was ponder some more.

"Well, that certainly didn't work out as planned…" Daphnes concluded, heaving a sigh.

"Would it be alright if I looked for clues myself, sire?" Kelli replied.

"Ah yes, please do, Kelli. I may as well keep an eye out for anything suspicious as well."

"Understood."

With that, Kelli immediately began nosing around for anything that could have been shattered. A few different noises had been mixed together at the same time, so things like windows, clay pots, and other items of the like were potential candidates. She looked in all the places where she knew clay pots and windows were near one another, but found no broken pieces or shattered windows at any of the houses she approached. Suddenly, just as Kelli was about to investigate the buildings near the Death Mountain gate, she heard a sudden cry.

"Oh my!" a feminine voice blurted from afar.

"Lady Kelli!" another voice called. A soldier rushed towards the curious heroine as she was approaching the stairs leading towards the Death Mountain gate.

"What? What's going on?" Kelli quickly inquired.

"It's Lady Impa's house! There's broken clay and glass everywhere by the front door!" the soldier reported. "I think the house may have been ransacked!"

"Ah, then let me have a look." Kelli wasted no time rushing up the stairs leading straight to Impa's front door. Just as the soldier told her, the window had been broken as well as the clay pots that once sat below. However, one thing the soldier had not mentioned struck her as odd. What appeared to be a dirt impression was inscribed on the wall right below the window sill. There had been a struggle here alright, but it still didn't completely add up. Kelli pondered about what could have occurred, but nothing reasonable had come to mind. It looked as if someone had broken into the house, or at least made an attempt to do so, but to steal what? As far as Kelli knew, the most valuable thing in Impa's house has been Impa herself, and the evil had already abducted her. Did the enemy break into the house believing it held other things of use to them, or did they just ransack her home out of spite? She had no way of knowing either way.

"Do you think someone was trying to break in and steal something?" the soldier suggested.

"I don't know. All I can say is that somebody wanted in here pretty badly," Kelli replied. "I just wish I knew why. The only thing we can do now is report this to his majesty."

Kelli turned towards the door but, before she reached it, something caught her eye as she passed one of the broken windows. On one jagged tip of the glass still attached to the frame was a tiny piece of material that had become snagged on the glass and torn free. A piece of the intruder's clothing, perhaps? Whatever it was, it was so tiny that she had to squint in order to see it. When she delicately plucked it off and ran one fingertip over the fine, gauze like material, she knew what she was looking at.

It was a piece of a fairy's wing.

Apparently, the resemblance between Navi and that ringing sound she heard earlier was no coincidence at all. A fairy had been here, maybe during the break-in, and the fairy's entrance had been less-than-graceful.

With the evidence in hand, the young heroine sought out the king of Hyrule once more. Though many thoughts now clouded her mind, Kelli was worrying most about what this incident was and why it even occurred. Whoever the mysterious fairy was, he or she had to have been in Kakariko for a reason, as they are normally not found alone or outside of the Kokiri Forest since their Kokiri wards could not leave the woods. So, why was a fairy both without a Kokiri and far from the forest? The only question that really mattered, however, was why the fairy was in the house in the first place. Kelli soon spotted Daphnes making his way down the stairs in front of the well, which sat in the near center of the village. She quickly rushed to him and explained her findings; he was rather skeptical but once he saw the piece of fairy wing, and found a magnifier with whic to actually see it, he was forced to agree with Kelli's assessment.

"The evidence seems clear," Daphnes commented once Kelli finished. "But I don't see why a fairy would be here."

"Yeah," Kelli said. "That's my only stray piece to this puzzle."

"We're probably missing one important clue to this whole thing," Daphnes pondered. "We just need to find it. Of course, it doesn't help that all we know about this fairy is that he, or she, is a rather careless flier and had a torn wing."

"Don't worry, I'll keep investigating. Though right now, I seem to be at a dead end."

"Hm… Well, I'm sure something will turn up sooner or later. Right now though, we should get back to business."

"Of course." Kelli then wandered away, deciding it was best to now take the advice Daphnes had given her earlier and look for any clues to Judo's whereabouts. She started by approaching the boy's house near the Death Mountain gate, where his mother, Mira, still lived. Two other buildings were nearby, a house and a shop, though Kelli remembered exactly which house was Judo's once she laid eyes on it. It was the same basic beige stone house seen throughout the village, only with a roof made of blue tiles instead of orange or red. However, just by looking at it, Kelli could see it was empty. The windows were dark, the curtains were closed, and the door was boarded up. Was Mira missing too? Did she go with her son? The only way Kelli would answer these questions was by finding either Judo or his mother, or both.

Heaving a sigh of disappointment, Kelli returned to where she had spoken with Daphnes earlier and continued on from there to the opposite end of the village. Perhaps there was more than just the scene in front of Impa's house that everyone had somehow missed. Maybe there were answers in the graveyard. Villagers, including the grave keeper, Dampe, had reported strange occurrences in there once in awhile after all, such as strange noises or claiming to have seen monsters. And, if the fairy from the previous night did tear a wing, he or she might decide to hide somewhere nearby while it healed and the eerie, often deserted graveyard seemed like the perfect hideaway. As she approached the graveyard's entrance, Kelli was almost surprised to see Dampe himself standing on the path.

"Ah, hello Kelli. I was hoping you'd stop by here," Dampe greeted. His large body and deformed-looking face appeared to be rather frightening; his hunched back, slightly twisted body and corpse gray skin made him look too much like the corpses he buried for most peoples' tastes, but he was a far kinder man than his looks would suggest. As usual, Dampe carried a shovel in his hand for the Heart-Pounding Grave-Digging Tour he ran in the graveyard for extra income when business was slow.

"Oh? Is anything wrong?" Kelli inquired, raising one eyebrow.

"No, I just remembered something," Dampe replied. "I know you and his majesty already asked me about the shenanigans from last night, but I shouldn't have said I knew nothing."

"Why's that?"

"Because I might have a clue after all. I heard flapping noises while in my hut last night. It sounded like wings. Something must have flown into the graveyard."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Hm… Well, thanks for letting me know."

"No problem." On that note, Dampe retreated back to the graveyard. Kelli continued walking around the village, trying to figure out how the grave keeper's clue could fit in into the puzzle of the break in at Impa's house. Had the mysterious fairy made the flapping noises, as Kelli suspected? Or was it something else? Furthermore, how many pairs of wings were there? If Dampe had been able to tell whether there was one flier or more than one, surely he would have said so. There was also the matter of exactly when the creature or creatures flew in. If it wasn't around the same time as the shattering and fairy noises, there was a chance the two could be completely unrelated. Lastly, it was even possible that the occurrence was connected to the incident with the monsters outside the village. She did spend over an hour searching for the rogue fairy but either she was wrong about where the fairy would hide or this fairy was a fast healer, for she came away empty handed and had no choice but to give up for the time being.

Out of boredom, Kelli soon decided to visit the area Judo had mentioned in his letter. It had always been a good place to meditate on a perplexing issue and this one certainly qualified. She climbed the stairs next to the graveyard's entrance, walked past the door of the windmill, and hoisted herself on top of the fence beside her. She had to leap to the other side to reach the ladder leading to the area, as a tall fence blocked the way. Kelli had a near miss, but landed safely on the other platform and rushed towards her destination. Much to her dismay, however, one of the castle soldiers stood in front of the ladder, blocking her path.

"Excuse me, you're kind of blocking the ladder," Kelli pointed out.

"Ah, Lady Kelli," the soldier greeted. "I apologize, but his majesty has ordered that everyone stay out of the area above due to the difficulty of seeing or hearing what goes on up there."

"But I'll be up there should any monsters appear."

"True, but then you might not notice anything happening below, plus his majesty may not be able to find you easily."

"Ah… Good point. I don't intend to be up there very long."

"I still advise against it. What's so important about going there anyway?"

"Well, if I must have a good reason…" Kelli produced Judo's Letter and held it in front of the soldier. His eyes scanned it in a matter of seconds.

"I see. Sir Judo wanted to meet you here," the soldier commented. "How unfortunate. He's been missing for awhile now."

"You know him?" Kelli replied, her voice hinting at her surprise.

"Not in person. He's well known, especially with the castle soldiers," the soldier explained. "Anyway, I think this letter is reason enough for you to go up for a little while. But be careful."

"Thank you. And of course."

Kelli was at the top of the ladder within seconds after the soldier stood aside. Upon reaching her destination, she began walking around the back of the windmill, eyeing the entire area with nostalgia and grief. She and Judo played up there many times when they were children. Well, technically she was still a child but fighting and killing Moblins for fifteen rupees a piece tended to make one grow up. The fence creating the border of the village, as well as demarking the frontier of Hyrule, was still intact, though in worse shape than before. One day, Kelli and Judo managed to climb over it and explore a little outside the kingdom. It was the same adventure that led to the underground cavern holding the sword and shield sheathed on Kelli's back. And then it led to the parting of the two friends. It wasn't long before these thoughts brought tears to Kelli's eyes once more.

Upon reaching the other side of the windmill, Kelli instantly sat down in the damp grass and watched the village from atop the cliff. She gazed down on the well once more, the very spot where Kelli and Judo first laid eyes on one another. Now it all seemed like it had all happened a lifetime ago, or not at all. Although Kelli knew she had to be more concerned about what was going on in Hyrule at the moment than Judo's whereabouts, she couldn't help but wonder. It'd been seven years since she had last seen Judo, the same time Link and Navi had been separated. Even though she knew she had to wait, Kelli felt as if she couldn't go much longer without seeing him again. However, with the troubles Hyrule now faced, she could only try hard not to dig too deep in her search for Judo just yet. Still, what the castle soldier at the bottom of the ladder had said echoed in Kelli's mind. Could that be a hint that Judo was a soldier himself? If so, why would he leave in such dangerous times?

"Oh Judo… Why?" Kelli sobbed. "If you can wield a weapon… Why aren't you here fighting for your kingdom?"

Or perhaps, Judo had no idea what was going on. Darker questions still flittered through Kelli's mind; seven years was a long time. Had he changed, for the worse, when the evil came to Hyrule and she was still away? Did he desert and abandon Hyrule in its darkest hour? Or, worse, did he join the enemy? Kelli nearly kicked herself for thinking such things but, that left one last dark question. Was he dead?

Again, Kelli tried to force these worries out of her head but her more pragmatic side whispered a reminder that, as a warrior, she had to be prepared for the worst. And, again, Judo being a coward, an enemy, or dead certainly qualified as 'the worst.'

The only way to know was to find him, she decided. Whatever the case, Kelli knew she would see him again someday. And when she did, she would apologize for seeking him out immediately after she returned to Hyrule from the kingdom shown in her dream. After all her thinking and pondering, Kelli knew there was only one thing she could do.

"I have no choice…" she decided, finally wiping her tears away. "With Judo missing and these monsters returning stronger than they were when I last fought them, Link needs to know everything. Especially if he's…the one…"


	4. Where's Saria?

Chapter 4: Where's Saria?

Unaware of the events unfolding in Kakariko, Link and Navi had still not entered the Kokiri Forest. The scene they had just witnessed mere moments ago continued to play over and over within their minds. There were few possible explanations for how the enemy could know any of Kelli's sword techniques, especially the most powerful ones. Did the nameless evil responsible for Hyrule's current state know her as well as Link currently feared? Whether the answer was yes or no, the fact that one enemy knew anything of Kelli's style remained and that alone put him in a dire situation. Kelli had already shown that she was perhaps far more skilled with a blade than Link was; she had, after all, given him a rather chilling demonstration when he tried to force his way past her. If this was the case, any enemies at her skill level would prove more than a match for the green clad hero. Link grimaced in fear, desperately looking for a solution to the problem.

"This is not good for us," he pointed out seconds later. "I may have won this time, but with my current skills, I could never best an opponent who truly fights as well as Kelli. Who knows what other moves she has up her sleeves?"

"I wish you weren't right, but this is troublesome," Navi agreed with a shudder. Link's facial expression turned confident seconds later.

"My thoughts exactly. And there's only one thing I can do about it. I can get Kelli to teach me her skills."

"B-But Link! After what just happened here, the enemy could easily anticipate that!"

"Maybe so, but there's no other way I could stand a chance against enemies who know skills I've probably never even heard of."

"Hmm… I still think it's risky, but it's better to be safe than sorry, no doubt. Let's get going." Link nodded and with that, the pair started through the second tunnel which would take them to the Kokiri settlement. However, they had barely moved anywhere when something swooped past them at incredible speed. The sound of a blade slicing through something echoed so quickly and loudly, it nearly knocked Link right off his feet.

"Gah! What the—?" he exclaimed as the same blade from before continued to slice through whatever it was attacking. Link turned around to find out who was responsible, but nothing appeared except for the remains of the Stalfos from before as well as a destroyed bridge whose pieces now lay in the grass near the creature. Apparently, whoever or whatever destroyed the bridge was able to move so fast that it could easily avoid being seen.

"Blast! I don't know what in Hyrule just happened, but whoever's responsible has gotten on my last nerve!" Link grunted, his hands making fists.

"Yeah, first a Stalfos welcomes us, now someone else chops the bridge up," Navi added. "What's next, a Skull Kid mob?"

Navi's joke put a smile on Link's face, but it was hardly enough to truly cheer him up. It was bad enough that there were monsters out there capable of outdoing Link in a battle or monsters he might have never seen before, but now they were attempting to trap him and Navi in the forest. Thankfully, the enemy seemed unaware that Link knew other ways of leaving the forest. There was a secret entrance to Goron City on Death Mountain, where the Goron tribe dwelled, located inside the Lost Woods, as well as another that led to the entrance of Zora's Domain, the home of the Zora race. The question was whether or not these passageways could still be used and, just as important, what might be found on the other side. Link could only hope for the best if he found it impossible to cross the bridge again and finally entered the Kokiri Forest, now more worried than ever about the Kokiri village and the forest children themselves.

Before Link had even left the tunnel, his worst fears were confirmed. He had hoped against hope that he might hear some sound of the Kokiri, the forest children being their usual rowdy selves and, more importantly, still untouched by the evil which had stifled Hyrule. There was no sound of laughter, no leaves crunching under running feet and no high pitched chatter of fairies. There were, however, different sounds that Link recalled hearing in his many battles and, realizing they were coming from the village, he broke into a run, desperately hoping he was wrong. It only took one look around the forest to notice what exactly had been done to it. As Link began walking through the village, he couldn't believe what his eyes were witnessing. Every house he walked past was in ruins, particularly Saria's, which was now a pile of rubble all together. Could that mean that the monsters knew of her identity as Sage of the Forest, as King Daphnes had surmised? Link didn't have time to think on it. Monsters roamed every inch of the forest, including Stalchildren, smaller cousins of Stalfos, as well as Deku Scrubs, large fly-trap plants called Deku Babas, Keese, and more. Many trees had been cruelly uprooted and were lying upon their sides in the grass as well. Link's fear was only fed more as he began to worry what might have happened to the Kokiri. The village looked as if no one had lived there in centuries, besides the monstrous new tenants, which meant anything was possible. _If those creatures killed the Kokiri, I will flood this place with their blood! _Link instantly thought.

Link shook his head when he walked by his own house, the place he lived in as a kid. Though all the Kokiri lived in trees, enormous stumps hallowed out into houses, his was the only true 'tree house.' It had been a small domicile in the strong braches of an oak, a small loft and a ladder linking it to the outside world that rarely welcomed him. However, what he saw in its place was the entire tree itself lying on its side in the path, not cut down but literally uprooted and thrown down. And, judging by the claw marks in the bark, it looked to have been done with bare hands. If the monsters were strong enough to do this, surely whatever attacked put the Kokiri in grave danger. This led Link to begin frantically searching the area, as he tried to silence the inner voice telling him that the chances of the Kokiri even being alive now were slim. He was even concerned about Mido, despite the things he'd done and said to Link when he was a kid. Link never cared, though, because it didn't matter to him. He always remembered what Saria told him after the first time Mido ever made fun of him. _Don't let what he says get to you, Link. Mido bullies everyone. And as long as we're friends, nothing he says should get in our way. _Now though, Link didn't need to worry about Mido teasing or making fun of him again, because he knew the boy wouldn't dare be mean to someone nearly twice his size. He just hoped Mido was alive enough to appreciate that fact.

As Link continued to walk among the remains of the houses, he fended off any monsters that attempted to attack him, either to allow himself to search uninterrupted or out of anger or just to take his mind off the possibility that these ruins might be all that was left of the Kokiri, he couldn't tell which, and kept a close eye out for any signs of the Kokiri. If they weren't dead, he wondered where they could be. The Kokiri could not survive outside their forest, at least not for a long time, so any survivors could not have gone far. He checked for any bodies under the trees and around the rubble of the destroyed parts of the houses, but found none. The only life Link could find in the forest besides himself and Navi were the monsters. It was like the Kokiri had simply vanished.

However, just as Link arrived once more at the remains of the village shop, he could've sworn he heard a pounding noise coming from somewhere within. Thinking it was one of the monsters, Link continued his search within the shop. The noise rang out once more, and this time Link noticed it was coming from _under_ the shop, not near it. He quickly shoved aside the rubble of the building and found what looked like a trap door, possibly a cellar or a storage room. He pulled it open to reveal, instead of the abandoned store's inventory, a secret passage way. Standing below Link on the wooden stairs was Mido, who had been pounding on the door. Behind him were the Kokiri children. Link's eyes instantly widened as he stood there. Every single Kokiri except Saria was standing in the little room, eyeing Link with curiosity. Mido was the first one to speak up.

"Finally, someone that isn't a monster!" he exclaimed. "Come in and close the door before one of them tries to get us!" Link wasn't hesitant to comply and followed Mido down the stairs, closing the door behind him. Link nearly hit his head on the ceiling once he tried to stand up straight, but stopped himself when he noticed that it was fairly low. The Kokiri were children, so of course there was no need to make the ceiling very high in such a place meant for them. He was hunched over slightly, which he knew would eventually irritate his back, but hopefully he wouldn't remain inside for too long.

"So who are you?" Mido inquired seconds later, a curious expression crossing his features. "That's weird, you seem familiar somehow."

Link did not know what came over him just then. Maybe it was that desire to be accepted which still lingered in the back of his mind, perhaps it was because, despite their treatment of him, he had missed the Kokiri, or it might even have been because he wanted to see the look on Mido's face. Whatever the reason, he decided to answer Mido's curiosity.

"Uh…ahem. Hello, Mido. I believe you do know who I am," Link replied with a smile, though he was still very surprised. "Care to take a guess?" Mido shook his head at Link's words, more than a hint of shock in his expression. This strange man that found them knew his name? However, when he took note of the sword and shield that hung at Link's back, he realized one definite answer to the question of the man's identity.

"You know my name? And own a sword and shield? You wouldn't happen to be the Hero of Time, would you?" he inquired, his voice becoming excited. "You kinda match the description of him that we heard from Saria and the Great Deku Tree Sprout."

"That's right," Link confirmed. "I am indeed the Hero of Time, but that's not quite the answer I'm looking for." Mido gave Link another blank look.

"Um...," Mido blurted, not used to being anything besides the-smartest-Kokiri-in-the-Forest. "I don't get it."

Link's expression softened, though whether this was from sadness or from recalling how much he wanted to put one over on Mido, he could not say.

"You…don't recognize me, do you?" he asked the assembled Kokiri, who reacted with silent bemusement. "Oh, I don't blame you. I look very different than I used to."

A Kokiri girl, one of the twins, approached Link. "What did you used to look like?"

"I was a lot shorter, for one thing," Link replied, with a small laugh.

"Ah, do we really have time for this?" Navi spoke up, whirring in front of Link.

"Wait, is that a Forest Fairy?" another Kokiri spoke up. "I thought the Forest Fairies only watched over Kokiri; we all have one of our own."

"I know," Link confirmed. "I had to wait quite a while for mine. I didn't have one for the longest time. The same day one came to me, I was called before the Great Deku Tree."

Judging by all the lower jaws inching towards the floor, Link suspected that comprehension was dawning.

"I've been gone from the forest a long time," he went on. "But, I still remember a lot of things. I remember how the twins used to play pranks on the other Kokiri but, since they look so much alike, no one knew which of them did it. I remember how Mido always made those two boys move the rocks and shrubs around Saria's house so she'd like him more and I remember how Saria used to go to the Sacred Forest Meadow and play her ocarina."

By this time, Mido could no longer contain himself. "How do you know all of this?"

"Like I said, I lived here," Link answered. "It was in a small house, high off the ground with a ladder and a tiny loft. Speaking of which, who knocked it down?"

It might've been Link's imagination, but he could've sworn he heard somebody faint. Mido, and the others, still regarded him with slack jawed shock and, when Mido finally spoke, his words were a strangled whisper. "Link?"

A confused babble of voices arose from the others, but quickly died down when Link raised one hand to call for silence and then nodded in confirmation of Mido's guess.

"Whoa…is it really you, Link? You look so much bigger and stronger…"

Link nodded, his smile intact.

"That's because I'm actually a Hylian, not a Kokiri. But I am Link. I still have my Kokiri Tunic and Navi, the very same fairy that was with me when I was a kid. Oh, and I can't forget Saria. In fact, I still remember that song of hers." Link then pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played Saria's Song. The Kokiri all put great smiles on their faces, including Mido.

"Link, it really is you!" a Kokiri boy cried as everyone except Mido gathered around Link and hugged him. "I don't know about Mido, but the rest of us missed you!" Link smiled as he felt the number of little pairs of arms around him.

"Well, I kinda did too," Mido admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I also feel kinda bad that I made fun of you, with you being such a hero and all now. You really proved me wrong when I called you a wimp."

"Hey, don't worry about it, Mido," Link comforted with a smile. "I never really cared that you did anyway. Besides, why would you try to mess with me the way I am now?" At that, Link chuckled once more. Mido had gone pink in the cheeks before responding.

"…Thanks. But, I think I'll leave the hugs to the others." He then winked. After everybody let go of Link, he took a short look around the chamber he stood in. It didn't appear to be recently built, as the walls, which appeared to be dirt, were really solid rock. The dirt must have hardened over time.

"So, tell me, where did this little hideout come from?" he inquired.

"We built it a long time ago to serve as a shelter in emergencies when the houses weren't safe enough. Like bad weather and stuff," Mido explained. "In fact, you wouldn't believe how many times the Great Deku Tree has had to use his magic to make our houses grow back after some really strong wind blew 'em over, seeing as they're giant tree stumps."

"You mean you guys did all this yourselves?" Link replied, raising one eyebrow.

"Yup. Took a lot of digging, it did, but we did it."

"Dang. For kids, you're pretty good with shovels!"

"Hey, we need to learn some ways of taking care of ourselves, you know. The Great Deku Tree's a tree, after all. It wasn't like he could wander around and spoon-feed us our every need."

"Yeah, that's true. Just one thing, though. I've lived in the forest for many years. Why don't I remember this place?"

"Well…uh…"

"You kept it secret from me, didn't you?"

"Well…okay, yes. But I swear, it wasn't because I disliked you. In fact, it was Saria's idea."

"What? Why would she hide this place from me?"

"I don't know exactly. I bet it has something to do with that girl that once lived here, though."

"Girl? Her name wouldn't happen to be Kelli, would it?"

"You know her?"

"Long story. Right now, I'm glad you told me this. However, there's a more important issue we need to discuss and that's Saria's whereabouts. She's not with you and I need to find her."

"Oh, right! We think she may have been taken to the Death Forest," Mido explained. "No one's been there in who knows how long, but the baddies around here seem to be coming from the direction of the forest's entrance."

"Death Forest?" Link wondered, arching his eyebrow in confusion once more. Mido nodded nervously.

"It's a dark, dead forest underneath this one. All the dead trees from here, including those in the Lost Woods, eventually end up there because of the Great Deku Tree's magic," Mido continued. "Even the Deku Trees themselves go there."

"I see. How can I get to this Death Forest?"

"Oh, the entrance is somewhere in the Lost Woods, but it's been sealed up for ages now. Though, with all the bad guys around, it may have been opened. I suggest you go see the Great Deku Tree Sprout. Only he can tell you if there's really something going on in there."

"Ah, thanks," Link replied. "I'll be back to check on all of you later. Once I'm out, close the door and don't open it unless you hear me call out to you." Link then climbed the stairs and hauled himself out of the underground chamber, trying once more not to bang his head. He immediately headed for the Great Deku Tree's Meadow, whose entrance was thankfully nearby, just across the pond in front of the shop's ruins.

Upon crossing the pond and arriving at the entrance to the meadow, Link continued to make his way past the monsters and entered. As he walked down the short passageway, a light fog began to hover over the ground much like in the Lost Woods. _Something's not right here,_ Link thought fearfully. He brought up his blade and hefted his shield, keeping his limbs loose and ready to strike or defend on the instant, and lept his ears open for any sound of an approaching foe. When the fog lifted by the barest degree, he saw a strange, glistening red some distance away. As he moved closer, he saw, to his shock and dismay that the Great Deku Tree Sprout was encased in thick, red ice. He had seen such unnatural ice before, during the dark future, and he knew that the only way to melt the ice was to use blue fire and if the sprout stayed that way long enough, he would more than likely die. Since Link didn't even have many of the empty bottles he once carried due to having sold most of them for rupees, let alone cool blue fire, he knew he needed to find some and find a way to bring it to the imperiled sprout fast. With that, he dashed out of the meadow as quickly as his feet would carry him, wondering where he'd find blue fire in a place such as the forest. The only source he knew of was the Ice Cavern in the Zora's Fountain, and he had no way of knowing if the passage was accessible or if the other side was secure.

Thinking it was really the only logical choice to make, Link decided to head to the Lost Woods first. Maybe there was another source he never discovered or, failing that, he could take a chance on the passage to Zora's Domain. He quickly rushed straight for a set of vines growing on a wall behind the remains of Mido's house and climbed to the top. There on the cliff was the entrance to the Lost Woods, which Link immediately raced into. The Lost Woods, he knew, lived up to its name; a series of seemingly identical clearings connected by log tunnels, at least half of which would send him right back where he started. When he came here before, he followed the echoes of Saria playing her ocarina, but he doubted her captors would make rescuing her that easy. His only chance was to find his way through from memory. When Link set foot in the woods, another light fog appeared around him, giving him making it even more difficult to pick out the correct log tunnels. Link went along the route to the Sacred Forest Meadow, keeping a close eye and ear out for any danger. Eventually, a fairly high-pitched cry for help in the distance caused him to jump.

"Help! Somebody, heeeeeelp!" the voice squeaked. It sounded a lot like a Deku Scrub. Link followed the voice, which soon led him to the remains of the bridge that led to Hyrule Field. He saw a Deku Scrub, a merchant one to be specific, at the other side of the area. A pair of Stalchildren were nearby attempting to strike the distressed creature with their claws. It didn't take long for it to take note of Link, for he had this strange way of being instantly noticeable when somebody was in danger.

"You! Please help me! These creepy monsters won't leave me alone!" it pleaded. "I'm begging you! Heeeelp!" Link saw one of the Stalchildren grab the Deku Scrub by the snout.

"Ow! Don't just stand there! Do something!" the Deku Scrub shouted again. Link drew his sword and approached the bony creatures. One charged spin attack had been enough to destroy them both, and Link re-sheathed his blade once he was through.

"Hey, that was neat!" the Deku Scrub complimented. "Thanks!"

"No problem," Link replied. "Helping others is something I'm good at."

"Cool!" the Deku Scrub commented. "For helping me, I want to sell you one of my special wares at a discounted price. It's a magic rod that I call the Rod of Blue Flames. Its cool blue fire can melt the thickest red ice! Normally, I charge one hundred rupees for it, but for you I can cut that price to fifty!" The Deku Scrub then produced a long, blue rod that wasn't much shorter than the Great Fairy's Sword. At the front tip there was a large blue orb while the rest was colored an icy light blue. Link, unable to believe his luck, blinked in astonishment at this fortuitous turn of events. Link knew he had to buy it if he was to make any more progress, especially since he wasn't sure if he could get to the Ice Cavern safely, so he quickly dug through his wallet and thankfully found a purple rupee in what he managed to save up in the past few weeks.

"Wow…" Link mused. "A rod that has blue fire? I'll take it. I'm going to need it anyway."

"Great! I'm glad I could help you in return," the Deku Scrub replied and traded the rod for Link's rupee. "Well, see ya!" And with that, the Deku Scrub burrowed into its Deku Flower and disappeared.

Knowing he finally found what he needed to save the Great Deku Tree Sprout, Link quickly raced out of the Lost Woods and back to the Great Deku Tree's Meadow, making his way through all the fallen trees and rubble from the houses, as well as the monsters once more. Hoping the Great Deku Tree Sprout would still live, Link drew his new Rod of Blue Flames as he approached the meadow. When he stood before the frozen sprout once more, he aimed the rod at the red ice and fired it until the flames completely engulfed the ice. It melted instantly as the flames diminished it. The Great Deku Tree Sprout stirred within the next few seconds after the ice was completely gone.

"Huh? Someone helped me?" the sprout wondered aloud. When it regained full consciousness, the Great Deku Tree Sprout suddenly realized who was standing before it.

"Link? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me alright. All flesh and blood," Link confirmed. "I don't know what happened. I just wandered in earlier and found you covered in red ice."

"I see. I've heard many things about you and your adventure in Hyrule!" The Great Deku Tree Sprout replied. "You're a fine hero. However, this is no time to be chitchatting. I'm sure you've seen the state of the forest. Nearly destroyed!"

"I know. I'm extremely worried. And I need to find Saria. Mido told me you might know a thing or two about what's happening," Link explained. "He also said he and the Kokiri believe Saria may be in a place called the Death Forest."

"I see. All I can tell you is that an evil force has cursed the Death Forest which Mido spoke of, as well as many other locations in Hyrule," the Great Deku Tree Sprout explained. "I know not what this force is, but its power is unlike the evil that caused the death of the Great Deku Tree behind me seven years ago. It's overwhelmingly strong."

"Then-Then what about Saria? What can I do?" Link frantically wondered.

"You must obtain a power strong enough to break this curse and dispel the evil. I know not where you can find it or what it is, but it may be within the Death Forest itself. Saria awakened as one of the six Sages and went to investigate the area, but as you might have guessed, she has not returned. I suggest you head there and bring all of this to an end."

"I certainly will. But where is it?"

"I don't know the exact location, but I do know it is somewhere in the Lost Woods near the Sacred Forest Meadow's entrance. I strongly advise you to be careful. There are more monsters appearing in those woods than out here."

"Thanks for the warning. I promise I will not fail." With that, Link turned around and began his short journey back to the Lost Woods.

Once he was back in the village, Link immediately sought his destination. He avoided the monsters, navigated his way around the fallen trees and ruins, and climbed up the vines behind Mido's house once again. One Stalchild standing at the top knocked him off the vines once, but Link managed to fire a pair of arrows into it and climbed right back up. Another attempted to attack him in front of the tunnel entrance to the Lost Woods, but was ignored instead. Link wasn't going to waste his time when he knew he could outrun the creature.

Inside, Link made his way through the fog again and followed the route to the Sacred Forest Meadow once more. When he was there, he carefully scanned the areas around the meadow's entrance for anything that might lead to the Death Forest. Just as Link had entered the section where the tall grass which concealed the entrance to an underground chamber called the Forest Stage was, he noticed a thicker bank of fog around the tree in the center of the area. He approached the tree curiously, as there was definitely something very odd about it. Link slowly walked through the fog in front of the tree, his steps cautious and his senses alert. However, when he was few feet away from the tree's base, he suddenly felt the ground vanish beneath his feet.

Link screamed as he plunged down into the deep darkness below him. He landed flat on his stomach when he finally hit the ground, the impact knocking the wind right out of him, and he slowly rose to his feet once his lungs would allow it. He carefully scanned his surroundings once the pain became bearable. Blackened trees that bore no leaves were situated everywhere and more light fog hovered over the room. The very same monsters from the village with the addition of floating skulls engulfed in blue fire known as Blue Bubbles roamed the area. There were also rotted, black logs and dead plants on the ground, which felt like nothing but dry dirt below Link's feet. A doorway framed with wilted flowers could be seen in the distance on the other side of the room and was guarded by a Big Skulltula, a large spider with the image of a skull on its back. Navi hovered close to Link's shoulder, seemingly nervous, while Link's confident expression did not change.

"Navi, this is our destination."

"I don't doubt you're right," Navi replied. "But just look at this place! I'm almost frightened."

"Well, I have to admit, I find it creepy and disturbing myself, but we'll have to endure it if we're going to save Saria and the forest. And you know I would never let anything bad happen to you."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks."


	5. The Death Forest

Chapter 5: The Death Forest

As Link began walking through the first room in the Death Forest, he kept his guard up against any enemies who attempted to assault him. He rolled away, shoved aside, or hacked through any rotted logs that blocked his path as he made his way to the door framed with dead flowers on the other side. When the Big Skulltula hanging above it plunged down in front of the hero in an attempt to block the door, Link simply ended its life with an arrow, which easily pierced the creature's skull-like back. He noted this with grim satisfaction; when he'd first encountered Big Skulltulas as a child, they'd frightened him, but he nowadays found them a nuisance and was glad he no longer had to wait for them to expose their soft underbellies for him to attack. Navi still shivered every now and then, but Link couldn't blame her. The Death Forest was, after all, a frightening place to be in and Link could imagine even one of the bold Gerudo running off screaming once they saw it. It lived up to its name as well; from the many rotted logs to the wilted flowers framing the doors, this place reeked of death and Link could no suppress a feeling of sadness that the Great Deku Tree, and its Sprout, would spend their eternal rest in such a dismal place as this. However, he couldn't afford to let these un-pleasantries distract him. This place was dangerous and, more importantly, he was determined to find his missing friend no matter what, just as Kelli was determined to find Judo.

Although the light was dim in the Death Forest, Link was still able to see what he was up against in the next room. After he entered, he noticed another door straight ahead outlined with rotted dead flowers, only this time thorny vines covered it. While the vines looked as dead as everything else in this place, these looked stronger than iron bars and their thorns looked as sharp as his sword. There was also an elevated platform in the corner of the room with a switch atop it, encased in red ice. However, there was no visible hookshot point near it on the wall and it was far too high for the Rod of Blue Flames to reach, so it was inaccessible to Link for the time being. All that remained was another dead black tree situated in the center of the room. Noticing a pair of large Stalchildren sitting on its branches, Link, another smile of grim satisfaction on his features, lunged for the tree and launched himself into a roll. The tree wobbled, nearly toppling over from the impact, and the two creatures fell from their perch.

By the time the two skeletal creatures hit the ground and noticed Link, the green-clad hero was already armed with his sword and shield, ready to attack. Unlike the other Stalchildren, who had been golden eyed like most of the other monsters Link had seen so far, these had navy blue eyes. Link noticed this and his eyes shot open in alarm, for he'd already encountered other creatures with peculiar eyes before and knew them to be dangerous, so he kept his guard up once more. Without hesitation, Link charged forward, only to be met with a bony hand colliding with his shield. The trusty shield held firm, as it always did, but the force of the impact buckled Link's shield arm and nearly sent him stumbling. Link, recovering half a second before his foe, drove his sword into the first Stalchild's neck and lopped off its head. While the first one wandered around like a blind man who'd lost his cane, Link realized the second had vanished from sight. That is, until a second bony hand struck the back of his head, knocking him to the floor.

Dazed for several moments, Link scrambled to his feet and quickly dealt two consecutive blows to his attacker's spine. The creature literally split in half from the blow, the torso clawing its way towards Link to strike again until a swift kick from the hero sent its skull flying across the room. With one Stalchild gone, he was able to focus on shattering the other's bones with one final blow. Mere seconds after the last creature fell, a staircase formed underneath the elevated platform. Link grimaced and brought a hand to the back of his head once he sheathed his blade and shield.

"Oh, ow… That really hurt. I can already feel a lump back here."

"Yeah, I can see it," Navi replied after floating behind Link to take a look. "You nearly passed out too."

"Yeah, lucky break it was that I didn't. Whoever is enhancing these monsters knows their stuff, I used to eat Stalchildren for breakfast and those two nearly had me for the main course. I'll have to be careful, and make for the time I lost back there."

Link then traversed the stairs to the platform, melted the ice with the Rod of Blue Flames, and pressed the switch. The vines on the next door retreated back to the dark earth, allowing him to move forward.

Link quickly raced back down the staircase and entered the newly opened door. The room on the other side appeared to be at least twice the size of any of the rooms he had been in so far, which meant it was probably the forest's central chamber. There were four other doors in the room; two with thorny vines, one with a lock and chains, and the other had been barricaded by a block of red ice. More dead black trees were scattered about the slightly hilly ground while a flock of Keese fluttered above. Link could not tell if these creatures too had been made deadlier, but decided it would be unwise to bother with them while they had such great numbers. Moving quietly so as not to draw the flock's attention, he pressed on instead.

Since the only door he knew he'd be able to open was the one blocked by red ice, Link headed straight for it and readied the Rod of Blue Flames. Just as the ice gradually melted, however, a pair of Keese nearby had taken note of Link's presence and swooped for his neck. Thankfully, the hero heard them soon enough to quickly duck and whip out his bow. After launching two arrows into their flesh, Link quickly ran through the door in a bold attempt to avoid any trouble with the rest of the flock. He leaned upon the other side as he panted, the blood thundering in his ears quickly joined by the angry screeching of the cheated flock.

"Phew… Note to self: never mess with a flock of Keese unless you've got a plan."

"Especially ones as smart as those," Navi added. "They didn't just notice you use the rod, they were waiting until your attention was elsewhere so they could catch you off guard."

"Never thought I'd miss the monsters I fought in the dark future," Link groused. "Still, at least you're here to warn me."

"I won't let you down either," Navi replied cheerily, or as close to it as was possible in such dismal surroundings and danger.

The next room was easily deadlier than anything Link had seen so far. Switchblades slowly slid across the floor while spikes were arranged in four rows between each one. Hookshot targets were scattered on the ceiling above the switchblades. Naturally, the next door was on the other side of the room.

"Wow, there's a tricky path," Link commented as he viewed his surroundings. "It's risky, but it won't stop me."

"Hold on, Link. Think about what you're getting yourself into," Navi interrupted. "One mistake here and it could be the end of both of us."

"True. I guess slow and steady wins the race."

"Be careful of those switchblades," Navi warned, her voice changing to a more depressing tone when she saw what else was waiting for them on the other side of the room. "…And the Keese."

Link grunted and glared at the two creatures as he drew his hookshot.

"Of course."

When he thought his timing would be spot on, Link aimed and fired the hookshot at the first target on the ceiling. The device sent him rappelling upward so fast, the room seemed to blur. Once he stopped, he took a moment to let the head rush subside and glanced down at the switchblade below, gauging its speed and timing. After a moment of study, he dropped to the floor just as the first switchblade passed beneath him. Link sighed with relief as he safely moved out of its path and aimed his hookshot once more for the next hookshot point. Just as he soared over the next switchblade's path, however, Link's fingers, twitching from the head rush of his soaring about, strayed over the hookshot's release switch. The hook came free of its resting place and Link plummeted to the floor just as the switchblade hissed over to greet him. He gasped and fired it once more, the switchblade passing so close to him he inspected his boots for gashes as he dangled until it was safe to drop to the floor once again.

"That was too close," Link panted before moving on. "I really need to take my own advice and let my head settle before using the hookshot consecutively." Now that he had relearned that vital lesson, Link bypassed two more switchblades without incident, hoping he wasn't about to give Navi a heart attack at the same time. Just as he was about to fire the hookshot at the final hookshot target and leave the room, one of the Keese spotted him and, as usual, swooped for the kill. Within the next few seconds, Link felt sharp fangs pierce him in the back. Angered and grunting in pain, he quickly swung his sword and carved the creature in half.

After the Keese died, Link finally crossed the last set of floor spikes. Just as the hookshot took him to the ceiling, however, the second Keese, probably in an attempt to get revenge for its fallen friend, drove its fangs into Link's chest. The creature's bite was shallow but the pain was enough to make Link lose his grip on the hookshot and he tumbled to the floor. Luckily, he landed just barely outside of the final switchblade's path. As he worked to soothe his aching body, he noticed with dismay that the hookshot was still lodged in the ceiling and was now far out of his reach.

"Ow…" Link groaned as he stood up. "I get blindsided by a stupid bat again, and my hookshot is stuck in the ceiling where I can't reach it! Now I'm really annoyed."

Luckily, Navi had the wits to fly up to the abandoned hookshot. Seemingly ramming herself against its release switch, she sent the device hurtling down to her partner who caught it in the air.

"You alright, Link?" Navi inquired worriedly, her tone suggesting that her retrieval of the hookshot had been rather painful.

"Yeah, and I owe you big time for getting the hookshot back. Let's just go before we press our luck. I don't need to waste my time taking out the other Keese."

With that, Link quickly bolted through the nearby door.

Inside the fairly small room there was a blue switch on the opposite end of the room and a door to Link's left with thorny vines barricading it. A rotted black tree stood in the center of the room, flanked by two unlit torches. As Link approached the switch, however, a circle of flames roared to life around it. Nearby, a Stalfos and two Stalchildren rose from the ground. The Stalfos's eyes glowed golden while its Stalchild allies bore navy blue eyes. They slowly approached Link as the young warrior drew his sword and shield.

Link knew the enhanced Stalchildren were the less dangerous foes, as his near miss earlier has revealed, and he decided that the best strategy would be taking them out first. Link charged towards the one to the Stalfos's right, swinging his blade to cleave the undead as he passed. But, the Stalchild leapt away with astonishing agility and Link found himself narrowly evading its claws. The Stalchild advanced and drew back its claws, no doubt intending to use the same maneuvers its brethren had in the beginning of the dungeon, but Link anticipated such tactics and ducked to avoid the bony hand. He followed up with a perfect thrust to the creature's ribcage. The other Stalchild was nowhere in sight, but Link knew where it had gone. He whirled and leapt to one side, just in time to let the Stalchild's claw flail past him rather than crush his nose and knock loose a few teeth, and brought up his blade to counter it. Soon enough, the Stalchild had only one hand.

The angry Stalchildren retook the offensive, one moving to Link's side and the other swinging around behind him while the Stalfos maneuvered to attack Link head-on. This could only mean that they planned to attack at the same time, using different angles of attack to ensure that Link could not stop all three of them without one landing a blow. _Drat! Even measly Stalchildren have grown smarter! Oh well, there's only one thing I can do here_, Link thought to himself. He brought his sword out and began focusing power in his blade. Seconds later, he unleashed a fully charged spin attack.

"HAAAAAAAAH!"

The attack sent Link into a dizzying whirl of deadly steel, and the room still spun around him when he'd stopped, but it managed to strike both Stalchildren. They soon crumbled to the floor in piles of bones. Link immediately turned his attention to the Stalfos, the creature's eyes filled with anger and the urge to avenge its fallen comrades.

Link had not forgotten the display the Stalfos from the Lost Woods had shown in battle. This fight would not be easy if this Stalfos used Kelli's sword techniques as well. The creature charged forth and swung its blade, only to have it blocked by Link's shield. Link stumbled backwards from the impact, but managed to keep his footing. Immediately after, he retaliated with two stabs to the Stalfos' chest. Its eyes flaring with rage, the Stalfos then leaped forward in a sudden jump attack, which Link dodged by no more than a hand span.

It was then that the Stalfos did something Link had never seen a normal Stalfos do before. It swung around behind Link and just as he was about to strike it again, the Stalfos scythed his leg at Link's ankles, sweeping hiss legs out from under him and sending him sprawling to the floor. As Link was slowly getting back on his feet and groaning from the pain, the Stalfos suddenly attempted another jump attack to finish him off. Once again, Link launched himself to one side to dodge it.

"Erggh… Something tells me I'm going to need to come up with a few tricks of my own if I'm to find a way around Kelli's techniques," he opined, his voice growing thin with strain.

"Yeah… Then, not even monsters who have mastered them all would be a match for you!" Navi excitedly concluded.

"Exactly my point. I'd still like to learn them, though."

Before anyone could say another word, the Stalfos leaped to one side, then rolled behind Link and rocketed into a spinning slash. Link realized his foe's intent just in time and hurled himself to one side. The Stalfos' attack sent it hurtling past and it ended up facing the wrong direction. Thinking quickly, Link kicked the Stalfos in the back hard enough to send it sprawling. As it attempted to stand up, Link rolled forward and finished it off with a stab into the creature's upper back. The roll attack had been exactly what Link needed, as the Stalfos fell from the blow. Just afterwards, the flames surrounding the blue switch retreated, allowing Link to press it. Two unlit torches standing on either side of the barricaded door suddenly ignited and the thorny vines barricading the door itself withdrew.

Link could only smile now, as the next task was clear to his adventurer's instincts, and was simple besides. He stood behind one of the lit torches, drew his bow, and launched two arrows through the flames. The arrows went ablaze as they flew through the fire, and landed squarely in the remaining torches to ignite them as well. Now that they had been ignited, a large treasure chest shimmered into existence between them. Link lifted the lid to find a rolled piece of parchment. After taking it from its resting place, he opened it and revealed a map of the forest.

"Heh, just as I figured," he mused aloud with a punchy smile. "The map almost always came first in the many dungeons I've explored. And now that we have it, we won't have to worry about getting lost. Hopefully we'll find Saria by the time we're finished."

"Yeah," Navi agreed. "I bet she's being held in the boss's lair somewhere."

"That's what I'm thinking too."

Link rolled up the map and put it away.

"Well, let's keep moving," he continued. "According to the map, the next room is a dead end, but the key for that locked door in the central chamber might be there."

The next room was even smaller than the previous chamber and there were no enemies in sight. In the center on a slightly raised platform sat a small treasure chest encased in red ice. Rotted black vines scaled the walls, so much so that Link idly wondered if the vines _were_ the walls, while various dead plants decorated the moist, earthen floor.

Knowing the chest had to contain the key he needed, Link drew the Rod of Blue Flames and unleashed a gout of blue fire. He instantly kicked the lid open once the ice was gone and smiled at the shiny silver key lying before him.

"Ha, I knew it!" Link exclaimed as he picked up the little key.

"Yeah, now we just need to make it back to the central chamber," Navi added, having not forgotten about the switchblade room.

"I know what you mean…"

"And don't even think about losing your hookshot again, my head's still killing me from the first time."

Though he knew exactly what Navi was implying, Link bolted back through the room where he obtained the map, used his hookshot to go back through the switchblade room, and then entered the central chamber once again. He instantly ran to the door with the lock and chains and inserted his key. It slid right through the keyhole and the lock and chains fell away, allowing him to open the door. Link let himself in immediately after.

During the next several rooms, Link met up with more Stalchildren, Keese, Stalfos, Blue Bubbles, large Deku Babas, and big Skulltulas. These included both the common varieties of monsters he knew from the dark future and their enhanced counterparts. Aside from the deadlier Stalchildren, Stalfos and Keese, he also met Big Skulltulas which scuttled about on the ceiling unseen and descended upon him while he was climbing vines or rappelling with the hookshot, and therefore couldn't strike back or even dodge them. Blue Bubbles that attacked in swarms to outflank and overwhelm him also struck, as did large Deku Babas. While obtaining the compass, a magic item with the ability to magically place marks for treasure chests and Link's location on the map, in the process, the hero fought his way through them and the puzzles that awaited him in each room. After using the compass in conjunction with the map, Link noticed there was supposed to be a treasure chest situated in the center of the central chamber, even though he never saw one there before. This hardy surprised Link though, unseen treasure chests being revealed when he performed a certain task was a common occurrence in the dungeons he'd explored. In a room near the central chamber, a switch Link pressed caused the thorny vines on the next door to wither away.

Link went through it and found himself back in the central chamber, just as the map had shown. However, just as he entered, all the doors in the room were suddenly barricaded with more thorny vines and the Keese that had previously been idly fluttered above suddenly maneuvered into a triangular formation. At first, Link thought they might intend to swoop upon him all at once and sought cover but what happened next surprised him; the Keese continued to move closer to one another until they touched...and then melded together. Within seconds, the entire flock became a giant-sized Keese with one golden eye and one navy blue eye. Link merely stood there, his mouth hanging open. This was something he'd never seen or even imagined before. This new giant Keese was nearly twice his size and emitted a loud shriek that left his ears ringing.

"Uh-oh…" he mumbled, still unable to move. Suddenly, the giant Keese attempted a fast swoop in Link's direction. He jumped out of the way to dodge it, only barely avoiding it. The giant Keese passed by so quickly that the rush of wind from its beating wings nearly blew Link's hat, and Navi, across the room.

"Whoa! This thing is fast!" Link exclaimed as he watched the giant creature. "It's going to wear me out if I don't find a strategy. Navi, any ideas?"

"Hmm…" Navi thought. As the giant Keese attempted another swoop, Link dove to the floor in hopes it would be quicker than simply jumping. This maneuver proved just as dangerous, for Link was forced to roll over to avoid the giant Keese's claws, but it instantly gave Navi an idea.

"Oh, I know! Link, try making it fly into the wall and then attack it with your sword!"

"…Ah, of course!"

Link positioned himself in front of one of the walls of the room and waited for the giant Keese to attempt another attack. Soon enough, the Keese once more beat its wings until a miniature hurricane erupted in the room and swooped towards Link, only to strike the wall head first instead of its target once he dove to the floor again. Its limp form crashed to the ground as Link scrambled to his feet. Link immediately bolted around it and drove his blade into its flesh. Navi's idea was indeed the strategy he needed.

However, Link was only able to deal one blow before the Keese shook itself back to awareness and suddenly turned around to face him. Clambering about using the claws on its wings and feet, it snapped and slashed at the green clad hero. Since Link was still in front of the wall, the Keese had him cornered. Before it could attack again, however, Link rolled forward below its body, angling his roll so the creature couldn't grab him, and the giant Keese took to the air once more. The Keese turned around again to face Link as he scrambled to his feet. It attempted another swoop, but since he wasn't standing in front of a wall this time, Link was able to run towards the opposite side of the room. Again, he dove to the floor and the Keese flew head first into the wall opposite the one Link made it hit the first time. He then dealt it one more blow.

After Link repeated the process three more times, the Keese changed its tactics. It still went into a nosedive in Link's direction, but instead of flying into the wall, it plucked him by the back of his tunic and carried him off into the air before he could dive to the floor.

"Daaaah!" Link yelped as he waved his limbs to wiggle free. "Put me down you piece of—!"

The Keese, unfortunately, decided to oblige him. It tossed him across the room. After landing hard on his stomach with the wind knocked out of him, Link slowly stood up, moaning in pain. _Alright, new plan_, Link thought as he spotted the Keese soaring towards him out of the corner of his eye. He quickly dashed towards another wall in hopes his slightly altered tactic would work. The Keese, as expected, dove once more. Instead of diving to the floor again, however, Link reverted to his original maneuver and jumped to the side to prevent the creature from grabbing him again. It was a near miss, but the Keese had collided with the wall once more, enabling Link to strike again.

After it recovered and faced Link, the Keese clambered towards him once more with its claws, trying to slash and bite Link, before taking to the air once again. This time, however, the creature moved much faster than usual and managed several glancing but painful blows with its fangs and claws. Link, since he was beside a corner of the room, quickly dashed in front of the nearby wall. The Keese attempted its nosedive once more, and again Link attempted to leap out of the way. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough this time. As he rolled under one of the Keese' wings, the creature's clawed feet seized him by the ankle and nearly succeeded in plastering Link against the wall along with itself. Only Link quickly slipping out of his boot stopped him from dying along with his foe. Link quickly scrambled to his feet and drove his sword into the Keese's flesh for hopefully the final time. Instead of counterattacking, the creature screeched loudly and slowly fell limply to the ground, finally destroyed. A large treasure chest appeared on the hill in the center of the room and the thorny vines on the door that Link had not yet gone through receded.

Once the Keese was gone, Link took a very deep breath, sheathed his sword and re-buckled his shield at his back, plucked his soiled boot from the floor, and brushed it off.

"Good, no tears," he commented after examining it for damage and slipping it back on his foot. "This is the only pair of boots I've got."

"Which would've been the least of your problems if that thing smashed you against the wall," Navi piped up. "I'm starting to think you're in over your head this time."

"I should probably come up with those new sword techniques, and learn a few from Kelli, before the next dungeon," Link agreed. "I've been pretty lucky so far but it's only going to get worse as we get closer to whoever is behind all of this."

"Good plan. I'll make sure you actually keep to it."

Link then took note of the treasure chest and approached it.

"Well, this explains the treasure chest mark in here on the map."

"It must be the dungeon's hidden treasure," Navi added. "Open it and see what it is." Link nodded and opened the treasure chest.

Inside, Link found a bow that was relatively larger than his old one. The tips of the handle were shaped like flames and colored like real fire. The handle was a muddy brown in color and had small spike-like ridges that weren't very sharp projecting from the inside and outside edges. The rest of the bow bore different shades of blue. It was clearly more ornate than his old bow, which had been getting quite worn from many years of use. Link had recently considered getting a new bow, but never expected it would be in a dark, dead forest.

"Wow…" he mused as he admired the bow's appearance. "I wonder what kind of bow this is. I've never seen one like it before."

"Neither have I," Navi added as she approached the bow in curiosity. "Hey! Didn't the Great Deku Tree Sprout say something about you needing to find a power strong enough to break the curse on this place?"

"Yeah, he certainly did. He said I might find it here. I bet this is what he was talking about!" Link surmised. "The bow must have some special powers."

"Exactly. Still, I wonder if there's more to it than that. The shape of the tips sort of resembles the guard of Kelli's sword. She might know something about this weapon."

"Oh yeah, you're right," Link agreed after recalling the appearance of Kelli's mysterious-looking sword. "I'll bet anything she'll have some answers. For now though, I'll get rid of this old thing."

Link then produced his old bow, snapped in it half over his knee, and tossed it to the ground. Once he equipped himself with his new bow, Link headed for the door that had newly become accessible upon the giant Keese's death and pressed on.

Over the next few rooms, Link kept an eye out for a chest containing the boss key, which would allow him to enter the sealed lair of the dungeon's boss. He normally found one in each of the dungeons he explored during his past adventures in Termina and Hyrule during the dark future, and suspected he'd find them in these dungeons as well. Then he'd head into battle with the dungeon's boss. He wondered what he was going to be up against this time, since in this forest, many things were possible. Especially considering that someone was enhancing the monsters he encountered and making them deadly enough to nearly do him in.

After going through rooms filled with more enemies to defeat and more puzzles to solve, Link finally spotted the bright yellow and blue chest that held the sought after boss key. It rested on a platform on the far side of a huge chasm spanning half the chamber. A burning torch stood on the floor to Link's left and another, unlit torch stood in a corresponding position on the platform where the chest lay. A door sealed with thorny vines was on the chest's left. A rusty-looking eye switch was fixed upon on the wall next to it.

"This one again, eh?" Link commented, unimpressed by the minor obstacle. He rounded the torch, readied his bow and fired an arrow through the flames. The flaming arrow hit the torch on the other side and the needed flame crackled to life. A chain of white platforms, so clear that they were nearly transparent, shimmered into existence to form a path across the chasm, giving Link a means of reaching the other side.

"Thank you, experience," Link opined with a smile. He leaped across the platforms quickly just in case they would only be present while the torch was lit. Once he was across, Link retrieved the boss key from the chest and turned his attention to the eye switch. He recalled having to use a heavy hammer known as the Megaton Hammer on rusted floor switches in the past during his first Hyrulean quest and wasn't sure he could activate a rusted eye switch with normal arrows.

"Hmm… There's a puzzler," Link surmised as he brought a hand to his chin.

"Yeah. The answer to this must involve that bow's special powers," Navi guessed. "The treasures you found in the other dungeons all helped you in the dungeon they came from, right?"

"Indeed they did."

For the next minute, Link contemplated on what abilities his new bow might possess to activate this mysterious switch. Off hand, it didn't seem likely that a bow could help him here. He idly recalled his using the Megaton Hammer once more and recalled that it was able to activate a rusted floor switch because it was heavy and powerful. _Powerful! That's it!_

"Navi, I've got it!" Link suddenly blurted as he snapped his fingers.

"Huh?"

He immediately brought another arrow to his bowstring and held it there for a few seconds. Soon enough, the arrowhead produced a faint glow that grew brighter with each passing second. More fascinating still, the arrow seemed to grow heavier in his grasp. Curiously, Link ran a finger over the shaft and the arrowhead; the shaft now felt far stronger than it did in his quiver and the arrowhead was so sharp that his finger came away bloody.

"Yeah! I knew it!" Link exclaimed. "This bow has the ability to enchant normal arrows, making them stronger and sharper!" He launched the arrow at the eye switch as he spoke. It activated instantly and the thorny vines on the door retreated. Link wasted no time going through afterwards.

As he went through the next few rooms, Link, for the first time, on top of things for once. The mysteriously enhanced monsters, combined with being on the receiving end of sword techniques he'd never seen before, had been quite trying but he believed his newfound weapon could tip the odds in his favor. His new bow's magical powers were exactly what he needed to confront the powerful foes he had been meeting. Between the sharper arrowheads and stronger shafts, he suspected that one shot would probably kill even a Dinolfos instantly, and probably several creatures behind it as well. Link was relieved, but knew better than to get cocky. Between his experience as an adventurer and considering the difficulty of the challenges he already faced, Link could easily surmise that the battle was not going to be easy. Then again, he brought down many dangerous foes as a mere child and began wondering if even Kelli had done the same. Whatever the case, however, Link knew he would take on any challenge that lay before him if it meant saving Hyrule and those he cared about, even if he had to sacrifice his own life in the process.

When he finally entered the room containing the large door to the boss's chamber, Link's heart began to race. Between him and the door, however, were spikes protruding from the floor. Link immediately scanned the walls and the floor for any possible means to remove them. Not only was there a rusty eye switch encased in red ice on the wall above the door, but a lone white platform floated directly above Link's head. The Rod of Blue Flames could not hope to reach the switch from such a distance, which meant Link would have to find a way to reach the platform above. Before he could take more than a single step, however, more thorny vines entwined themselves over the door behind him and an Armosaur dropped from nowhere and landed in his path with a thud and a roar. Instead of a sword, however, it was equipped with a lance and a large buckler.

"Ah, one of these guys again, huh?" Link commented with a nonchalant tone and a punchy smile. The Armosaur charged towards the hero immediately and drew back its lance to thrust for his chest. Link's smile did not fade.

"Ha, I know how to deal with your kind by now."

With that, he rolled behind the creature, the Armosaur's momentum causing it to overshoot Link, and drove his sword into its back. Link's blow had been lucky, neatly cleaving through a gap in the creature's armor, and he followed up by shoving his foot into its flesh, sending it sprawling to the floor. Link immediately sheathed his blade and un-slung his bow. With practiced ease, he notched an arrow to his bow string. The Armosaur had managed to recover its wits enough to rise to its knees but was far too slow to save itself. Link launched a charged arrow right into the flesh of its spine and the arrow went right through the Armosaur's back, its front, its chest plate, and out again, half the shaft boring into the opposite wall before it finally came to a stop.

Link looked on in mingled satisfaction and stupefaction, and then glanced at the bow itself.

"Wow," he commented, seemingly talking to the bow. "We don't know our own strength!"

"Okay, I was willing to give you a free pass for talking to the Fairy Slingshot since you were such a lonely kid," Navi spoke up, seemingly amused. "But aren't you a little old for that these days?"

"Sorry, old habits die hard. But, just as I hoped! Instant kill!" Link chimed. Upon the creature's death, the thorny vines on the door crinkled away and stairs appeared beside the lone platform. Link did not hesitate to race up and fire the Rod of Blue Flames at the red ice encasing the eye switch. He followed with an arrow piercing its eye. The spikes blocking his path to the door of the boss's chamber retracted into the floor upon the switch's activation.

His heart racing until blood thundered in his ears, Link bolted through the large metal door like a horse at full gallop. He emerged to find himself standing on a very narrow platform, still charging ahead. By the time he saw the chasm on the other side of the door, he was already hurtling down it. Thankfully, there was a chamber below and a thick carpet of dead vegetation to cushion his fall. After taking a moment to get his racing heart under control, Link took stock of his surroundings. He was in a fairly large, empty chamber containing nothing but a moist floor, covered in the layers of dead plants that had prevented him from breaking a few bones upon his entrance, and walls covered with rotted vines which sprouted sickly looking flowers that Link couldn't help but consider the floral cousins of the zombies known as Redeads. Dead bushes decorated the corners of the room.

Link's exploration was suddenly interrupted by a ghostly cackle that echoed throughout the room. A figure wielding a sword began to descend from above seconds later. When it drew close enough to him, Link realized he was looking at a massive skeleton four times his size that was garbed in a suit of dark green armor. Its eyes blazed a golden hue, and seemed to blaze all the brighter at the sight of its victim. It's jaws grinding together in a twisted, and failed, attempt at a smile and then it jiggled its bones, swung its massive blade, and let out a terrifying roar. Link could only guess it was an enlarged Stalfos with reinforced armor as he was caught in a baleful glare that left him all but paralyzed. In reality, this creature was not a Stalfos, but a monster called Tamuda, the giant undead warrior.

The creature began the battle by swinging his blade in Link's direction. Tamuda's armor and large size rendered him fairly slow, however, and Link easily vaulted out of the way, though he could tell one solid blow could end him. He scrutinized the creature for what would appear to be a weak point, but he could see no gap in the armor and Tamuda kept him too busy dodging and weaving for him to search in any case. Navi flew about and aided Link in his search.

"Geez, at this rate, I'll be old before I find this thing's weakness!" Link blurted as he avoided another blow from Tamuda's sword, which missed by mere inches. Navi had just flown around to Tamuda's bony backside and froze in delight.

"Hold on, Link! His back is unarmored! Try attacking it there!"

Link rolled between the monster's legs before responding.

"Ah, of course! Those bones look strong, but that's nothing my magic bow can't handle!"

Tamuda had lost sight of Link, which gave the embattled hero plenty of time to launch a charged arrow into his backside. The arrow, empowered by the magic bow, blasted into Tamuda's bones and out again, sending pieces of bone flying in all directions. Tamuda roared in pain and collapsed to the ground flat on his armored rib cage. He remained stunned for several seconds, allowing Link to drive his blade into the creature's spine several times over.

Moments later, Tamuda sprung to his feet to face Link. He stomped towards the hero and drew back his blade for another attack. Link moved backwards, waiting until the creature swung his sword once more and gave him an opening to get behind his foe again. Link again vaulted to one side, rolled between Tamuda's legs, and launched another charged arrow into his back. However, before he could reach the spine of the once again fallen Tamuda, Link found himself stumbling over the skeleton's right leg and crashing to the floor. Though he had scrambled to his feet quickly enough to strike, Link was unable to deal as much damage as he had before. Nonetheless, Link was confident he'd prevail against Tamuda if this was all he had to do to defeat the undead giant. Or so he thought.

After Link had repeated his tactic four times, Tamuda decided to change his strategy. He stomped in towards Link after standing up, removed his head, and tossed it at the shocked hero. Link vaulted to one side, but the skull corrected its course and hovered near him. Link was about to fire an arrow at the floating skull when its eyes gleamed and it hurtled itself at him, forcing him to desperately roll out of the way. Worse still, the skull and the headless Tamuda now attacked in tandem so that Link was hard pressed to avoid one without getting hit by the other. _Blast! This is starting to feel like the king of Ikana all over again_, Link thought as he recalled his battle with the undead king in Termina. _Only, light isn't going to destroy this guy. _Link knew he could attempt his original strategy and roll between Tamuda's legs again, but the floating skull could still follow and hit him while he readied an arrow. His only option was to defend with his shield. After he held it up, the skull collided with the hard metal. The shield rang like a gong and Link could swear he heard his elbow creak under the abuse, but the skull fared no better and collapsed to the floor, stunned. As the rest of Tamuda's body quickly scrambled to pick it up, Link used this opportunity to dash behind him and fire another charged arrow. He soon dealt several more blows to the spine.

Knowing now what he needed to do to finish off Tamuda, Link repeated his strategy again four more times. However, before he could deliver what would hopefully be the final blow, he toppled over Tamuda's gigantic foot along the way. Tamuda had quickly used this fortuitous development to his advantage and swung his sword in Link's direction, only to have the nervous hero quickly roll out of the blade's path. Link immediately scrambled to his feet afterwards and launched another charged arrow as fast as he could. Tamuda collapsed to the floor for the final time as Link delivered two more blows to his spine. Once a third had been dealt, Tamuda suddenly sprang to his feet and emitted a long, loud roar. His spine soon snapped in two, with a report so loud it forced Link to drop his sword and clap his hands over his ears, causing the two halves of his body to collapse to the floor. Link brought his arms over his face for protection as a hail of bone fragments flew in all directions.

Upon Tamuda's death, another large door magically appeared at the opposite end of the room from where Link first entered. The darkness in the room soon faded, giving Link a better view of his surroundings. However, though the curse on the forest appeared to have been broken, Saria was still nowhere to be found. Link's only option was to enter the new, slightly glowing door and hoped for the best. He picked up his sword and slowly and nervously turned the doorknob, hoping he would find his missing Kokiri friend on the other side.

The chamber Link found himself in was very petite in size. All that it contained was a small stone altar bearing a fiery cloud of darkness. Within the next few seconds, the cloud quickly disintegrated to reveal a shining emerald colored gemstone in the shape of the spiral symbol on the Forest Medallion, an artifact Link collected during his previous adventure in Hyrule during the dark future. There were six medallions in all that represented the Sages of Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow, Spirit, and Light, and their respective powers.

Before Link could approach the stone, its glow grew brighter and brighter until it cast a beam of green light towards the floor to his right. The beam slowly transformed into a child-sized figure that soon revealed to be Saria herself.

"Saria!" Link blurted uncontrollably.

"Link?"

"Saria! Good Farore, I was so worried!"

Link couldn't prevent himself from pulling the girl into a tight hug. Saria made no hesitation to return it.

"Oh, Link! I don't believe it! It's been so long since anyone has seen you!"

"I know," Link admitted as the two released one another. "I'd love to give you a long apology for not explaining myself on that matter, but what the heck is going on here?"

"Ah, yes. There's much you need to know," Saria replied, her smile turning into a frown. "As you've probably seen by now, a new evil has attacked our land of Hyrule. The Great Deku Tree Sprout and I sensed a strange presence near the Sacred Forest Meadow."

Saria went on to explain that she went to investigate the area and found that the seal on the entrance to the Death Forest had somehow been broken and waves of evil power were radiating from its chambers. Before any of the Kokiri knew it, monsters had begun appearing throughout the forest and the Lost Woods. Saria attempted to flee to the village, but before she could even take another step, a cloud of darkness enveloped her body.

"At first, I wasn't sure what had happened after that," Saria went on. "Now that you've rescued me, though, I think I understand. The Death Forest and the jewel you see here were cursed and the darkness trapped me inside the stone until you broke the curse."

"I see. And what's the story behind the stone?"

"I don't know much, but I once heard that centuries ago, nine sacred jewels were created by two gods, though these were different from Din, Nayru, and Farore. They gave life to several elements we're familiar with. There's supposed to be jewels for forest, fire, water, wind, ice, light, shadow, spirit, and sky. The stone you see here, obviously, is the Jewel of Forest. The only other thing I know is that they were protected by two guardians until they were somehow forgotten."

"Wow. I suppose I should take the jewel with me?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure why, but I feel you will need all of them."

"Alright then, if you say so."

Link then approached the altar and took the Jewel of Forest from its resting place.

"Boy, I'm sure glad I let Kelli convince me to work with her," he commented as he gazed at the beautiful stone. "I'd still be clueless about, well, everything if I hadn't."

"Ah, I'm glad you met her. She's more vital to saving Hyrule than she might let on."

"What do you mean?" Link wondered, arching an eyebrow. "Wait, it involves those strange powers of hers, doesn't it?"

"Exactly. She can explain all that to you much better than I, but I can tell you this. You two must combine your strength or Hyrule is doomed."


	6. Kelli's Resolution

Chapter 6: Kelli's Resolution

For a long moment, Link contemplated Saria's words. If he truly needed Kelli's help in order to save Hyrule once more, then it had been more fortunate that she'd convinced him to listen to her than he ever imagined. Of course, it wasn't exactly surprising at this moment since Kelli had already displayed her ability to detect the energy of the monsters they met before the monsters themselves even appeared. Link could not help but suspect that the mysterious female warrior knew far more than she chose to tell. And she never revealed anything to him. However, the story Link learned from Mido, about Kelli having once lived in the Kokiri Forest, was certainly a good start on figuring out just who she was. And as much as he didn't want to bring it up to either her or Saria, for fear of upsetting them, Link felt he deserved to know why her existence was hidden from him as a child and decided to inquire about it once he returned to the forest.

"So, you're saying Kelli and I need to cooperate and bring down this evil together?" Link finally spoke up, trying to keep his mind from wandering any further.

"Exactly, though to be honest, I don't exactly know how," Saria admitted. "As I said, Kelli seems to be the only one who knows much about these monsters and the power they possess. It's almost as if she's one of them herself…"

"Yeah, though I highly doubt that's the case. At least not literally. If she were, she'd be as ruthless and nasty as they are."

"Yeah, true. Well, we should get out of here. The others are likely worried about us and you've got more Sages to find."

"Good point. Plus, I don't want to keep my horse waiting for me longer than she should."

With that, Link glanced around the tiny chamber and found a faint blue light which had shimmered into existence beside the altar where the Jewel of Forest once rested. Several arcing curves of light wind repeatedly swirled around the glowing, azure aperture which gently turned in shimmering circles, indicating it was none other than a warp portal. These arcane transporters had always been Link's means of leaving the dungeons he explored once he was through with their bosses, so naturally this was still another familiar occurrence. Both he and Saria stepped into it and instantly felt the magic of the portal's winds whisk them back to the surface and onto the grounds of the Kokiri settlement. After arriving just outside of the Lost Woods, the pair immediately examined their surroundings. As Link expected and hoped, everything in the forest had returned to normal. The monsters were gone, the tree stump houses were rebuilt as if by magic, the Kokiri who had left their underground refuge now frolicked happily, and the fog from the Great Deku Tree's meadow had lifted.

The only thing that hadn't changed, to the warrior's disappointment, was his own house. The oak in which it had been built still lay on its side in the downhill path it once stood on, the ladder smashed to splinters while the house itself was no better off, broken tree branches were beneath the remains and scattered about the path, and the curtain that once hung on the doorway remained torn to shreds. Link sighed upon viewing this sight, half out of slight irritation and half out of relief.

"Well, good to see everyone else will soon have a peaceful home again."

"Oh dear… Link, I'm so sorry about your house!" Saria replied, knowing Link now had no place to live.

"Don't worry, it's not your fault. I'm sure—"

"You guys made it!" a familiar voice called out to them, cutting Link off. Mido was racing towards them and scrambling up the vines that grew along the side of the cliff. Reaching the top, he astonished both of the new arrivals by hugging Link with much enthusiasm.

"Mido!" Saria cried. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, we hid out in the cellar below the shop the whole time," Mido confirmed, breathing raggedly from his climb as he let go of Link. "Sorry your house is still a mess though, Link. It was the only one that got completely uprooted, so the Great Deku Tree Sprout's magic couldn't affect it."

"It's alright. That place would've been a little too small for me now anyway," Link pointed out. "I mean if I tried to go in, I'd probably hit my head on the ceiling left and right."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Saria agreed with a laugh. "I guess it isn't that much of a loss after all. But where will you live now?"

"I dunno, I'll figure something out, I suppose. Anyway, Saria, there's one more thing I'd like to talk to you about before I leave."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I know what you've been hiding from me," Link continued, noting Saria's laughter was suddenly choked away and her brow furrowed in concern. "I know that another Hylian child that lived here besides me, and that it was Kelli. I know you hid her existence from me when I was a kid myself. And of course, I know about the shelter beneath the shop, which you never told me about either."

At Link's words, Saria looked stricken. After a long pause, and a nervous gulp, she replied.

"Link, I…"

Link, sensing Saria was either going to offer an apology or an excuse, or both, which he didn't have time for, raised one hand to silence her and set his face in a commanding expression before he continued.

"All I want to know is why. Kelli and I would've probably been good friends."

"Link, I apologize. As much as I didn't want to do it, the Great Deku Tree told me that you two could never interact as kids or else terrible things would happen. He said you weren't fated to meet until you both came of age."

"What? How can something terrible happen simply out of the two of us meeting?" Link wondered, arching one eyebrow. "That makes no sense to me."

"I know, I didn't understand back then either. But now I do. You see, if you both met as children, you would have indeed become good friends," Saria explained. "Both of you were much alike, since you were outcasts here. If you did meet someone who truly understood what you were going through, would you leave them? I doubt it; you had a hard enough time leaving me, but you might not have been able to leave a kindred spirit. She might not either. So, you'd remain in the forest or leave together in pursuit of a new home or possibly adventure. Whichever the case, the result would've been the same. One or both of you would have been in danger due to Ganondorf's activities and likely been unable to pursue your destinies, which led in different directions before you teamed up. Meeting as young adults instead, as you can see, has yielded the best results. Just as you wandered and learned much, so did Kelli; though she wandered elsewhere and learned things which you didn't. And you'll need to use all the skills you've both learned to save Hyrule."

"Oh… Now that _does_ make sense. I'm guessing Kelli hid out below the shop then?"

"She did. I was worried that you'd be in danger if we had bad weather, but you were fine."

"Yeah, well, now I'm glad I never met her as a kid. I should also know better than to doubt the Great Deku Tree's words by now."

"Don't worry about it, Link. Just go find the other Sages and jewels," Saria encouraged with a smile. "We're still friends, aren't we?"

"You bet," Link confirmed with a wink and then ruffling her hair affectionately. "See you later!"

With that, Link bid Saria, Mido, and the other Kokiri goodbye. He quickly headed for the wooden tunnel leading back through the Lost Woods and out to Hyrule Field. However, he only took a few steps into the first tunnel when he realized he'd forgotten about the destroyed bridge. There was no way for him to get across it in its current state. Or, did lifting the curse somehow repair the bridge? Link shook his head at this idea; if the energies that had rebuilt the village traveled through roots, than they certainly wouldn't work on the bridge. And, if they did anyway, his house would have been restored as well. Deciding it couldn't hurt to check, Link continued into the Lost Woods. As he had surmised, the bridge remained in pieces and scattered about the ground. Either the hero would have to take his chance on the watery passage to Zora's Domain, or the hidden entrance to Goron City if he were to escape. And, as when he was seeking blue fire, he had no way of knowing if either passage was still open or if the other side was safe. Either exit could mean stumbling blindly into danger he might not yet have the skills or tools to confront.

Before Link could decide his next course of action, however, a spark of green light erupted from his rucksack. Link quickly produced the Jewel of Forest from his belongings and watched as it cast a wave of magic towards the ground below him. It settled at the base of the cliff opposite to him and within seconds, tendrils of vines sprouted from the soil and climbed the rocky wall until they reached the top. The process was then repeated on the cliff Link had been standing on, offering means to scale both cliffs.

"Wow… How about that…" the dumbfounded hero commented. "This stone really _is_ a jewel of forest."

"Yeah, this makes me wonder about the abilities the other jewels possess," Navi replied. "Maybe you can use the Jewel of Fire to make fiery shockwaves or the Jewel of Shadow to blind your enemies or things like that?"

"We'll find that out when we get them. First things first, though. We have to have a little chat with Kelli. She knows something, and I want to know it too."

With this, Navi could not disagree. She too was curious about the story behind Kelli's powers and the monsters that had overrun Hyrule. Link quickly jumped to the lower level of the small grove and scrambled up the newly grown vines on the opposite wall. Relieved that he didn't have to go through Zora's Domain or Goron City yet after all, the hero raced into Hyrule Field once more, hoping Epona had not possibly been attacked while he was gone. Even though the forest was now safe, Link had many concerns on his mind. The other areas of Hyrule still needed his help and likely Kelli's as well.

The faithful Epona, as always, awaited Link's return. Apparently, she'd not been idle; for her mane was tousled and her sharp hooves glistened with blood. Several dead monsters, most of which had been trampled beyond recognition, lay nearby. Link, an admiring smile on his face, gently ran a hand over Epona's flank.

"And here I was thinking you got bored waiting for me while I went through those dungeons," he remarked, half in humor and half in apology.

Epona puffed out her nostrils, the small gust tickling Link's face, but Link smiled nonetheless and mounted her.

"I'm sorry if I took a long time, Epona," he whispered as he stroked her short, white mane. "I really wish you didn't have to wait for me so much, but you're a good girl."

Before heading to Kakariko, Link decided it was best to let Kelli know in advance that he was on his way to see her and reached for the Ocarina of Time. He quickly recalled the melody she had taught him after rescuing Daphnes from the castle dungeon and played them as accurately as he could. Much to his pleasure, the voice of Kelli herself soon filled the air.

"Link? Is that you?" she inquired, her voice seemingly distant yet clear enough to tell that her tone was a little depressed.

"Yeah," Link replied. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm fine. It's just that…I miss Judo so badly. I know I should be focusing mainly on Hyrule's problems right now, but I can't help worrying about him so much."

"Hey, I know how you feel. I felt the same way about Navi the past seven years. And to be honest with you, I'd like to help you with your search in any way I can."

Kelli remained silent for the next few moments.

"You…you mean that?"

"Of course I do."

"Th-Thank you, Link. You don't know how much this means to me…"

"Well, hey, I'm glad to be of use," Link replied in his most comforting tone, though inwardly puzzled that Kelli, who'd seemed made of iron when they met, was so distraught. "Anyway, I want to let you know that I'm heading to Kakariko right now. We need to talk. And don't try to sidestep it this time. This is very important."

"Oh, don't worry, I won't. In fact, I agree with you. There's much we need to talk about. Did you have any luck with the Sages yet?"

"As a matter of fact, I just finished restoring the forest and rescuing Saria. I'll give you details later, alright?"

"Good, I'll be waiting."

With that, the pair cut off their telepathic connection. Link took Epona's reins and directed her into the field. Within the next few moments, he spurred her to a gallop and was speeding across the field towards the river. He was glad Kelli, beforehand closemouthed and secretive, was interested in speaking with him as well. And from her words, it also appeared she had a lot to tell him. Hopefully Link would have a better understanding of Hyrule's situation once they finished their conversation and that he would leave armed with new sword techniques to aid him in his quest. His heart nearly racing, it seemed to take only minutes for Link to approach the staircases leading to Kakariko village, which sat at the foot of Death Mountain. Kelli's horse, Sunfire, was also tethered there. Link felt leery about the horse having to remain there for a long time, but at least now neither she nor Epona would be alone.

Besides, if Epona's bloodied hooves meant what Link thought it did, any monster that approached the horses did so at their own peril.

Link couldn't prevent himself from gazing at the beautiful palomino horse before making his way up to the village. He could definitely see why Sunfire once belonged to Zelda. The curly blonde mane and tail, the elegantly crafted and polished saddle, and the silver Triforce bands wrapped around the ankles all signified a horse befitting royalty. Why Zelda gave the horse to Kelli escaped Link, as did much where Kelli was concerned, but he did know that the heroine was lucky to own such a creature. A smile formed on his face as he finally traversed the stairs to the village.

As Link began walking through the familiar surroundings, he couldn't help but wonder how Kakariko managed to survive against the evil that apparently struck the rest of Hyrule; not unlike it had during the dark future before a shadow being called Bongo Bongo escaped its prison in the bottom of the well. Perhaps the enemy thought the village would be useless to them? Or did they have other plans for it? Or worse, it could be that the village really had been afflicted like every other area of Hyrule, only in a fashion which eluded detection. Whatever the case, Link knew it was best for someone like Kelli to be on the watch for any potential dangers. He quickly approached her when he spotted his newest friend awaiting his arrival just beyond the tree standing closest to the village's entrance.

"Hey, I didn't take too long, did I?" Link immediately inquired upon coming to a halt.

"Not at all," Kelli replied with a small smile. "I wasn't exactly expecting you to rush, you know."

"Well, I thought time was of the essence. You know what I mean. Anyway, since we both have things to say, do you want to go first, or should I?"

"You go ahead. If you have any new questions for me, I may be able to answer them. Besides, I know I've kept you waiting for information so far."

Link could not argue there and he couldn't help but suspect that he'd learn less than he desired. He still had a lot of friends in Hyrule who were unaccounted for but he knew Kelli kept her own council on what to tell him, how much to reveal and when to do it.

Much though this chaffed him, he recalled how she'd disarmed him so easily and he knew better than to insist.

"Fair enough," Link agreed. "I think I'll ask you about this first."

As he spoke, Link produced the magic bow he had acquired while exploring the Death Forest. Once she set eyes upon the mysterious weapon, Kelli stared at it with slack jawed amazement. _Can…Can it be?_ She thought. _He found it…_

"From the look on your face, I'm guessing you do know about this bow," Link concluded, snapping Kelli out of her trance. "I found it deep inside a place called the Death Forest."

"…I see," Kelli finally uttered moments later. "Tell me, did the arrows you fired from it possess tremendous strength?"

"Yeah. They were so powerful, they pierced through anything I shot them at. And whatever was behind the target, and whatever was behind that, and so on. Why do you ask?"

Kelli turned around before responding, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Then it's true… You are the one…" she whispered, almost to herself, and so softly Link nearly missed it.

"What? What 'one'? I'm utterly confused here."

Listen, Link," Kelli urged, keeping her back to Link. "To tell you the truth, I have been looking for another person besides Judo, but I didn't know who it was. Do you know the legend of the Sky Guardians?"

"No, not at all," Link replied, raising an eyebrow. "Not even Zelda has mentioned such a story to me."

"I thought so. Few people in Hyrule besides myself know anything of it, but it's no mere 'story.' It's one of the kingdom's oldest tales, dating back several centuries and long before even the Master Sword was forged. It used to be a widely known legend…"

"But then it was somehow forgotten?"

"Yes," Kelli confirmed, her gaze straying to the ground. "Ages ago, mighty warriors known as the Sky Guardians protected this land from those with evil minds for many generations. They used an ancient power bestowed upon them by the gods to maintain peace and seal the evil ones away."

"I see. But…if the story of these warriors was forgotten a long time ago, why and how do you know of it?"

Kelli lifted her head once more. She inhaled deeply, working to calm her nerves and all too aware that she was taking a gamble by revealing this truth.

"…Because I am one of them."

"Wha…? But you said—"

"I know. You see, the reason the legend was forgotten for so many years was that the Sky Guardians eventually died out...mostly, that is. The Sky Guardians were 'reborn,' as it were, for many generations but this cycle eventually stopped. However, it is slowly being revived and has been since I was born. I am the first Sky Guardian to appear in hundreds of years."

"But why? What caused all of this?"

Kelli went onto explain that the evils the Sky Guardians fought against were the same as the one currently attacking Hyrule. The evil monsters who bore navy blue and golden eyes would sometimes wreak havoc across the land, only to be defeated by two heroes who were destined to be the Sky Guardians. The creatures whose eyes were as blue as the night sky were monsters of darkness that held the power of the moon. Those with golden eyes were creatures of light and possessed the power of the sun. Each of the Sky Guardians carried a special sword forged and infused with the proper power to slay these monsters. They were also given the ability to detect the energy embedded within them, which explained Kelli's ability to detect their foes. The Sky Guardians, however, had one fatal weakness: since one carried a blade to slay moon aligned creatures and the other carried a sword to kill sun aligned monsters, they normally had to operate in tandem.

Alone or separated, they were vulnerable.

"You've already seen my blade, but take a look at it again more closely," Kelli continued and unsheathed her sword. She thrust it into the ground and beckoned Link to examine it.

"Yeah, it has a sun emblem on it. That means it's the sun sword, right?" Link easily guessed.

"Yes. It is, in fact, called the Sun Sword and is the blade of light," Kelli confirmed. "The goddess of the sun, Solaris, bestowed upon it the power to slay the moon aligned monsters."

Kelli turned around once more before continuing.

"And I, the blade's wielder, am the protector of light, the Guardian of the Sun."

"Then there must be a blade of darkness that can slay the sun aligned monsters, correct?"

"Exactly. It is the Sun Sword's counterpart, the Moon Sword. Both swords, as well as the shields that go with them, choose their wielders, much like the Master Sword does. Only the chosen ones can use them and once they are found, light and darkness come together to work as one and bind evil."

"I figured as much. It just goes to show, not all darkness is evil and not all light is good. Where does the bow come in?"

"The bow you found is also a weapon the Sky Guardians used. It's known as the Guardian's Bow. Since there are two Guardians, there are only two of these bows in existence."

"I see. Do you have the other one?"

"I do. I found it while I was away from Hyrule. Unlike the swords and shields, anyone can use a Guardian's Bow, if they're strong enough. However, only the Sky Guardians can unlock their full power. And it seems you have done so, Link. Ever since I first learned of my destiny and the legend, I have been looking for the one destined to be the protector of darkness, the Guardian of the Moon. That hero is you."

"Whoa, hold on… I still don't understand a few things. Why can't the Master Sword do the job? It _is_ the Blade of Evil's Bane, after all. And why couldn't you tell me this before? I'd have been less confused about what's going on."

Kelli's gaze strayed to the ground once more.

"I know, and I apologize for deceiving you. I just wasn't sure if you were the one I was looking for. And originally, the Master Sword was meant to slay these creatures as well. It was forged several hundred years after the Sun and Moon Swords. The gods and the seven Sages realized that the Sky Guardians were vulnerable because they could be separated and killed by monsters their weapons could do little to harm, especially if they were somehow unable to use their bows. It was then they agreed that one all-powerful evil-destroying blade was a better alternative. So then the Master Sword was born and both the Sun and Moon Swords were hidden away where they would be buried and forgotten for years to come."

"Oh. That would indeed explain things. But then, if we're Sky Guardians, then they must be returning. How do you explain that?"

"That goes back to when I left Hyrule. I found my sword and shield not long before then. They're the very reason I left Judo and the kingdom behind for seven years. I eventually came to another land much larger than Hyrule known as Mayia."

"Go on."

"It was in Mayia that I learned about the sword, the legend, and everything I know. I also learned that Mayia and Hyrule are close allies and a number of their stories and legends connect the two kingdoms in some way."

Kelli's story continued as she told of how she trained with the Mayian soldiers to become the warrior she was now and just as she was perfecting the advanced techniques she'd learned, the monsters now being seen in Hyrule appeared in great numbers on Mayian soil. This was the first time Kelli had ever seen these creatures and it became her ultimate test to save the land from whoever was behind the invasion. As she was told they would, her sword and shield proved to be very effective against the monsters of darkness despite their striking intelligence. Eventually, Kelli had fought her way up to their leader, a creature more powerful than anything she previously battled.

"He was a creature of darkness himself just like his army," she described. "And his name was…Notu…"

"I feel for you. I was rather stricken with Ganondorf myself," Link commented.

"I'd imagine so, but from what Zelda has told me of him, Notu is far more ruthless and deadly," Kelli assured. "I believe him to be the primary reason for the Sky Guardians' return. You see, in recent years, the monsters which the Sun and Moon Swords were meant to slay gradually grew stronger, smarter, and more agile. Where they were getting their power, nobody could figure out. It was then that people began searching for the swords in hopes two more heroes could take them up and defeat the creatures. While even the Master Sword would eventually become too weak destroy them, the power of the Sun and Moon Swords remains, no matter how powerful the monsters grow."

"I figured as much. But you're saying this Notu guy is responsible for making them stronger?"

"Partially. He seemed to have only strengthened his own kind instead of the creatures of light. However, as we both know, the creatures of light have recently become just as menacing as their dark counterparts."

"Indeed. But, who's enhancing the sun aligned creatures?"

"That, I don't know. I do know, however, that you need to find the Moon Sword, wherever it may be hidden. And then—"

"And then we take down whoever's behind all this trouble together!"

"That's right," Kelli agreed with a smile. "And I know we can do it."

"Yeah, now I know what Saria meant when she told me we had to work together," Link recalled. "Oh! And that reminds me. There's one more thing I need to show you."

With that, the hero then produced the Jewel of Forest, the sunlight bouncing off its shiny green surface. A faint gasp escaped Kelli's lips and her lower jaw again drooped earthward.

"I found this stone in the Death Forest too. Saria told me a little bit about it, but I bet you know more," Link continued.

"Ah, I was hoping you'd find one of the Elemental Jewels," Kelli commented, though she was unable to hide her amazement. "The Sky Guardians were also given the task of protecting them. The Jewels, like the Swords and Shields, only open their magic to those chosen to be Sky Guardians. And because of this, we must find all of them."

"That's what I just now figured. So, what's our next move?"

"Hmm…" Kelli contemplated, bringing a hand to her chin. "Oh, before I forget, there was a bit of a situation while you were gone. Whatever's going on up Death Mountain caused a rockslide to block the entrance, so we can't go there."

"That's just terrific…" Link fumed, glaring at no one in particular. "I was going to head up there afterwards to find out if Darunia and the Gorons were alright and to see about the next jewel. Well then, I guess all we can do is sniff around for any sign of your friend."

"Judo? Yeah, which reminds me, one of the guards told me something earlier that made me think he might be a warrior himself. If we can find him, surely he'll help us out. I already checked his house and it's completely closed up and lifeless, so there's no use going back there either. How about the graveyard?"

"Why there?"

Kelli explained that, while Link had been gone, someone had broken into Impa's house the previous night as well as the clue Dampe gave her. Link listened, but once again, he came away with more questions than answers. The devastation of Saria's house and this incident both suggested that this Notu was seeking something he believed that the Sages had. But, in both cases, nothing seemed to have been taken. If this had been the case, however, then what were they looking for? Each possibility Link came up with seemed to produce even more questions that he was unable to find answers to and decided only a thorough investigation would lead him and Kelli to the solution. Which, given the stronger and deadlier monsters roaming every which way, would be quite a challenge.

And then, there was still the heroine's determination to realize Link's potential as a Sky Guardian. If what Kelli had told him was true, then it was clear he was meant to be the Guardian of the Moon. But why would this be so if he was already the Hero of Time? Or was his previous title irrelevant now? The dark future, after all, was just that, a dark and tragic possible outcome of Ganondorf's rise to power, which Link had prevented from occurring. He did so by traveling to that future as the Hero of Time, where he vanquished Ganondorf, and then by returning to expose him in the past, preventing the Evil King's rise to power. Did the title, however, only coincide with that time period which he'd stopped from coming to pass? Was he technically no longer that hero now, but instead becoming a different one because he changed the future? _Yeah, that makes sense,_ Link decided. _Zelda sent me back to where I first met her, which was long before I pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal in the Temple of Time. But what of this new threat? What if…_

"Kelli, hold on…" Link spoke up after a long moment of contemplation.

"What's the matter?" Kelli inquired.

"I just thought of something. That Notu character you defeated… Could he…have possibly returned?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. I thought he was gone forever when I stopped him in Mayia, but now that the monsters of darkness have returned alongside their counterparts, I don't know what to think."

"Hmm…"

"But I do know this. If Notu is indeed hiding in that dark castle and watching the land collapse, then we'll be in for the fight of our lives when we reach him."

"I can imagine so. We'll have to make sure we're prepared."

"Indeed."

As they began their investigation of Kakariko's graveyard, Link inquired about the young man named Judo, curious as to the part he had to play and whether or not Kelli had any real clues as to his whereabouts. Although Kelli could not give much on appearance since she had not seen her friend in several years, she could remember his character as with startling clarity. She described Judo as being a man of kindness, courage, and, above all, having a fun-loving nature. He was the biggest jokester in the entire village, and never failed to produce a smile on Kelli's face whenever she was down. There very rarely was a joke he told her that wasn't even the least bit humorous to her.

"He was a little klutzy at times, but Judo was by far the funniest boy I ever met," Kelli went on, a sad smile teasing at the corners of her mouth. "There was one joke of his in particular that made me laugh really hard. I remember it perfectly too. What did the cucco say when he caught a cold?"

"Tell me."

"Cock-a-doodle-CHOO!"

"Haha! That _is_ pretty funny!" Link complimented with a deep chuckle. "Judo was really good at this, wasn't he?"

"He sure was. My favorite is definitely that knock knock joke he used his own name in, though. He made it up especially for me and I will never forget it."

"How did that one go?"

"You'll see. Knock knock!"

"Who's there?"

"Judo."

"Judo who?"

"Judo know how awesome you are."

"Hehe, clever! He really does sound like a great guy. I'd like to meet him sometime; I just hope I do before the enemy does, if they haven't already."

"Yeah, that's what worries me the most…"

Before Link could speak further, his attention was drawn to an unfamiliar sight near the northwestern edge of the graveyard.

"Hey, look up there! On top of that small cliff," he directed, pointing to a small rise with a fence running the length of its south edge. Kelli quickly turned to where Link was pointing and spotted what appeared to be the entrance of a cave.

"Strange… There's never been a cave up there," she commented, raising one eyebrow.

"Yeah, I say we check it out."

Before responding, Kelli allowed her irises to take on their golden glow and her hair to slightly stand on end once more. It wasn't long before a worried gasp escaped her lips and her eyes and hair to return to normal.

"Oh no… Link, it's a good thing you spotted this. Monsters are hiding in there!"


	7. A Puzzling Situation

Chapter 7: A Puzzling Situation

Link, his instincts honed to perfection from evading death by the narrowest of margins a few hundred times, didn't take long to realize the implications of this discovery. All of Kakariko's defenses, what little was left of them, were concentrated against attack from Hyrule Field and, if the monsters in the graveyard attacked, the village would be overrun in short order.

"Then let's get in there and deal with them before they cause any real trouble," Link quickly advised. "If they get out, it's over."

"Right. But listen, my powers can't tell us exactly what we'll be up against," Kelli warned. "We must be careful."

"Got it. Just one thing. How are we going to get up there?"

"…Good question."

"Hmm…" Link contemplated, bringing his hand to his chin. "Ah! I have an idea. I'll give you a boost, then you can pull me up."

"Alright, I'll try."

With that, they quickly approached the rise. Link then kneeled to allow Kelli to climb atop his shoulders and then stood up so she could reach the top of the small cliff. Grasping the edge of the cliff, and praying to all the Goddesses that it didn't crumble in her grasp, Kelli swung one leg over the lip of the plateau and hoisted herself up. She then flattened herself against the rock and reached a hand toward Link. Link quickly grabbed it as if it and, as if walking up the cliff face, he and Kelli worked together to get him over the ledge and up to the cave's entrance.

"That worked out better than I thought," Kelli commented, rolling her shoulder to relieve some minor cramps. "We should do this more often when we have to climb walls like these."

"You got that right," Link agreed with a smile. "Though you were only pulling half my weight, that's still quite a bit considering my shield and other equipment. Good job!"

"Ah, it was nothing. Let's get moving though. There's no telling when the monsters in there will decide to make a move on the village. Also, there's one thing I forgot to tell you…"

"What's that?" Link wondered, raising his eyebrow as the pair began entering the cave.

"While I can indeed sense the presence of these monsters, they can also detect me."

"Now you tell me…"

"But hey, that's only if they decide to use that ability. Plus, it's only the sun monsters that can do it anyway. The moon monsters, thankfully, cannot. Though both do tend to work together, much like the Sky Guardians do…"

"You said I was destined to be a Guardian of the Moon, right?" Link recalled, to which Kelli nodded. "Could they sense my presence too?"

"What, getting cold feet?" Kelli jibed, snickering at Link's scowl. "Well, you don't have the Moon Sword or the Moon Shield yet, so no."

"That could help us," Link noted. "They'll know you're here, but since they can't detect me, I can take them by surprise."

Before Kelli could reply, however, they were startled by the grinding sound of rock moving against rock. At first, Link feared that part of the tunnel had given way and was about to come crashing down on them, but soon saw the situation was even worse. A slab of rock descended over the cave entrance, sealing them in. The ground slightly trembled as gasps escaped both Link's and Kelli's mouths. Even in the dim light of the torches lining the walls, both adventurers could tell that they could not hope to dislodge the obstacle.

"Oh that's just terrific!" Link blurted. "I did not plan on getting trapped in here!"

"Who would?" Kelli replied rhetorically. "But anyway, look there."

Link soon turned his attention to where Kelli was pointing. Before them, six stone slabs, resembling doors, were built into the wall. Each one had a strange rune carved above it, with no two runes being the same.

"I don't like the looks of this," Link murmured. "I can't read any of these runes, but I'm guessing that if the monsters were going to use this place to launch attacks on Kakariko, one of them has to lead out."

"Yeah, but which one?" Kelli wondered. "We already found one booby trap and some of these doors likely lead to others."

"My thoughts exactly. I don't think the monsters just carved this place out; I think it was prepared for them in advance by whoever's been enhancing them. I doubt the monsters would bother with booby traps when they're so strong in a straight fight. Maybe we should split up so we don't both fall into a trap?"

"Too risky," Kelli decided. "If we stick together, we can probably handle whatever we run into. I think we should go single-file though. That way, if one of us does fall into a trap, the other can get them out."

"Good idea. I'll take point. Which way are we going though?"

"How about we take turns choosing doors?"

"…Well, alright. It's really all we can do, I guess. Who chooses first?"

"Doesn't matter to me. You go ahead."

Link nodded and contemplated his decision. He had six doors to choose from, which didn't exactly thrill him if, indeed, five of them led to booby traps or dead ends or the lurking monsters. Link had no idea how many monsters might be inside the cave but, with his luck, it was probably quite a few. What's more, Link was certain that the runes above the door had to denote which door led where. If the enemy was planning to use this cave as a defensible rallying place for the monsters, then it stood to reason that the enemy would want to make sure the monsters didn't fall into the cave's traps. However, the runes made no sense to Link. They took the form of bizarre shapes and angles which left him bewildered. He simply sighed, knowing there was no way he'd decipher them without some sort of clue to their meaning.

"Eh, I'll just go from left to right, so let's start with the door on the far left," Link decided.

"Alright then. I'll just go with the door next to it if it happens to be the wrong way," Kelli replied, her brow furrowing in concentration. "Though to be honest, something is oddly familiar about those runes up there. But I just can't figure it out."

"Huh… Perhaps as we work on this, it'll come to you."

"I hope so. We're on the enemy's turf here and we'll need all the help we can get."

With that, the pair proceeded through the door on the far left. At their approach, it slid up into the ceiling with a most unpleasant grinding sound. However, instead of being brought closer to the cave's exit, the pair found themselves in a fairly small chamber. All it contained besides a few torches resting in wall sconces was a sarcophagus set against the back wall. Before either Link or Kelli could take another step, however, the door ground shut behind them while the sarcophagus slowly creaked open. A misty cloud of darkness was revealed within, menacing and impenetrable. Before either adventurer could react, dark tentacles suddenly shot out of the cloud. Link and Kelli were each seized by the waist in a grip of iron and then yanked clean off their feet into the dark mist. The pair soon blacked out, only to awaken moments later to find themselves on the ground in the first chamber. Kelli quickly scrambled to her feet.

"See, I told you this crazy place probably had traps!" she blurted. "We were just lucky that trap wasn't the kind that kills you."

"Yeah, that was kinda freaky though," Link replied, standing up and brushing himself off and then his jaw dropping in alarm. "Aw, say it ain't so!"

"Huh?"

"The runes! They've changed places! Well this certainly makes things easier!" Link exclaimed sarcastically, pointing to the new arrangement of the runes above the doors.

"Ugh… Hey, why don't we keep going through the same door until it becomes the correct one then?"

"Sigh… Well, what have we got to lose?"

With that, the pair proceeded through the door on the far left once more. This time, luck had been with them and they were led to another chamber containing six doors with one rune inscribed above each. The door ground shut behind them, leaving them no choice but to move forward once more. Kelli then chose the next door, the one on the far right, hoping she and Link would get lucky once more. The pair sighed nervously as they entered. Before they could even take in their new surroundings, misfortune struck once again. More grinding sounds were heard and the pair followed the sound to see the floor dividing in half to slide out from under them, revealing a seemingly bottomless chasm below. Cries from both warriors echoed off the walls as they hurtled into the darkness, blacking out once more.

The two awoke once more on the floor of a chamber containing six doors. Once his vision became clear, Link glanced behind him and shook his head in astonishment. There was no door, only a wall of rock.

"Aw man…!"

"What's wrong?" Kelli inquired, rather nervously.

"We're back where we started!"

"What?"

Kelli quickly turned her attention to the wall behind her.

"Curses… You're right. At this rate, we'll never get out of here," she opined.

"Well, we have to!" Link snarled. "We'll likely starve if we can't get out quickly. Besides, Hyrule needs us."

"I know… This is really troubling."

"Yeah, the only good thing is that we haven't run into any monsters yet."

"True. They must be hiding deep within the cave. I doubt they know we're here though. I think they'd rather fight us than let us stumble around like this."

"Probably. There's gotta be something we can do to get past these traps."

Kelli fully agreed. Both warriors returned their attention to the runes inscribed above each door, certain there had to be some way to decipher their meaning. They were sure now that they were related to the solution of the puzzle. However, Kelli still could not recall where she might have seen or even heard of such bizarre inscriptions before. Unfortunately, Link appeared to be even more befuddled than she was, his brow furrowed in perplexity and his hands massaging at what Kelli suspected was a roaring headache. He soon brought his hand to his hair and scratched his head, utterly at a loss, but then something caught Kelli's eye. Her gaze darted back and forth between Link's hand and the rune above the middle door and soon realized that his hand had taken on a shape similar to the rune. It was then that the answer hit her like a bolt of lightning.

"Link! I've got it! I remember now!" Kelli gasped. "Judo can help us!"

"Wha…? But he isn't even here," Link pointed out, raising one eyebrow in confusion.

"I know, but I remembered something he told me a long time ago which gives me an idea."

"Well, don't keep it to yourself!"

"Alright, just hold your horses. Anyway, Judo used to tell me about the stories his mother often told him in her spare time. One of them was about a powerful Hylian mage. The mage had a lot of enemies, or he was just very paranoid, Judo wasn't very clear on that point, so he devised a unique means of protecting his home. It was called _Manu Propria_."

"_Man_ what?"

"_Manu Propria_. In an ancient tongue, it means 'with one's own hand.' It's a system that's meant confuse and scare off trespassers who might try to break into a place such as a fort or supply unit. All it took to activate was a spell known as the _Multum in Parvo_, or 'much from little.' The monsters must have either learned the mage's spell or somehow recreated it."

Kelli continued to explain that _Manu Propria_, as the translated name implied, was a spell dependent on hand gestures. The basis for the system was a set of corridors lined with chambers leading to the actual fort or supply chamber was the basis for the system. Each chamber held six doors, five of which that led to traps while the sixth led to the next room. Each door had runes inscribed above them. Their shapes represented hand gestures which were required to manipulate the enchanted doors. If one desired to reach the fort or supply chamber, they would have to use their hands to recreate the runes above the doors in the correct order. Each rune that was imitated correctly and in the proper order would then glow white while an error would cause it to glow red. The act of imitating the runes, the _Multum in Parvo_, would, if performed correctly, cause the doors leading to the trap rooms to vanish leaving only the door leading onward.

"So, you can beat this place by just flexing your fingers?" Link asked, surprised. "Huh, that _is_ 'much from little.'"

"Rather like what comes out of that head of yours," Kelli replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, just like...hey, did you just insult me?" Link realized, his tone suggesting that he thought so.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Kelli replied, smiling like a Kokiri trying to con someone out of a basket of sweet rolls.

Link wasn't convinced, but Kelli went on regardless by telling him that if a person entered a trap room for whatever reason, they would be sent back to the first chamber and both the runes above the doors and the order they had to be presented in would be rearranged.

"Oh, and one more thing. If we get the order wrong, then it'll set off another trap. Not the kind we've run into so far but something like bombs magically flying out of the runes above the doors," Kelli finished. "No doubt the case will be the same here, but since the rune will glow red, we'll have some warning."

"I see. It'll probably still take time to reach the end of the cave, but at least we now know how to get through this place."

"Precisely. Now, I'll try to crack the first code to give you a demonstration."

Link nodded and watched as Kelli began working her hands and fingers to take the shapes of the door runes. The first one she chose, the one above the far right door, glowed white. However, the second rune she tried glowed red. Remembering what Kelli had told him, Link brought up his sword and shield in time to meet a flock of Keese that seemingly erupted from nowhere.

"Blast! This cave's _Man_ whatever is rigged to conjure monsters if you get it wrong!" Link exclaimed, nearly stumbling backwards as he dodged a swooping Keese.

"No wonder I detected so much of their energy in here," Kelli realized. "The runes are infused with that energy. Link, you deal with the Keese while I figure out this code."

"Like I have a choice? Just don't mess up this time!"

Keese flew and dove so fast that they seemed to blur from sheer speed. Link's sword did likewise, cutting the bat-like creatures to ribbons while Kelli continued to reproduce the runes with her hands. Of course, this was complicated because her trial-and-error work conjured more and more Keese. It was fortunate that Link ate Keese for breakfast and that one strike of the Great Fairy Sword's large blade could cleave half a dozen of them in two with one slash. Although, he did wonder how long he'd be able to hold out before the Keese wore him down through sheer numbers. Thankfully, Kelli had finally produced the correct code minutes later and the doors leading to the trap rooms disappeared. Only one door, which led onward, remained.

"Finally!" Kelli exclaimed with eagerness. "Let's go. I have a feeling the monsters we face will gradually get tougher as we move on, so be prepared."

"Wonderful."

The pair lost no time entering the door and moving on to the next chamber. As expected, the room looked nearly identical to the one they'd just left behind. Once again, they faced a room with six doors, each one with a rune inscribed above them. However, the runes were different this time around, implying that the proper order was different as well. Link, not particularly thrilled at the notion of getting swarmed by Keese again, turned to Kelli once the pair came to a halt.

"How about I give it a shot this time?"

"Good idea. We'll take turns so that whoever holds off the monsters before has a chance to recover," Kelli agreed, drawing her blade. With that, Link set to work, shaping his hands and fingers into the shapes of the runes as Kelli had demonstrated in the last chamber. However, the first one he had attempted glowed red. Knowing what this meant, Kelli brought up her blade and let her gaze roam the chamber to find her opponent. Sure enough, a trio of Stalchildren shimmered into existence. Link and Kelli were soon gritting their teeth in shock, Link in particular recalling his near miss with these creatures in the Death Forest.

"Oh boy…" Kelli uttered.

"Well don't just stand there!" Link retorted.

"Alright, alright, geez…"

With that, the two picked up where they left off. Kelli drove her blade into the first Stalchild she approached. Though a pair of Stalchildren like these had nearly beaten Link in the Death Forest, they were creatures of the moon and Kelli's Sun Sword gave her a clear advantage. Her first thrust lobbed off her attacker's claw and her following strike cut it to pieces. Just as Link had managed to discern the first two correct runes, however, the creature's skull came hurtling towards his forehead, hitting him squarely and knocking him backwards to the floor.

"OW! Come on! Watch it!"

"Oops… Hee hee, sorry about that!" Kelli replied, a grin forming on her face. She had to admit the act was funny as she watched Link clamber to his feet, slightly dizzy from the blow, while rubbing his forehead. However, the trance was broken when a Stalchild's arm swung towards her head. Kelli, luckily, had caught wind of it in time to duck and launch her foot behind her into the creature. Being dead, the Stalchild didn't find such an attack particularly painful, but the impact of the blow sent it staggering and gave Kelli the time she needed to bring her sword back to the ready. Before she could strike, however, Link caused another rune to glow red. _Blast… _she thought, irritated, as a new trio of Stalchildren shimmered into existence. Link grimaced, hoping he wouldn't end up creating an army of them, and continued working on the code.

Thankfully, Kelli managed to destroy all four of them before Link could cause more to appear. Though these enhanced Stalchildren were swifter and their attacks more powerful, the creatures were still as fragile as ever. Link's third attempt to decipher the code was successful and, by which time, Kelli only had two opponents remaining. Link quickly aided her in finishing them off so no time was wasted, and swiftly swung his blade into one of the Stalchildren.

"Man, this is nuts…" he opined moments later, breaking the silence. "I'm going to go crazy if I run into another _Man_ whatever spell after this."

"Tell me about it. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be surprised if those monsters did use it elsewhere," Kelli replied, sheathing her sword and shield. "Either this cave is an important rally point or they're hiding something valuable in here. I don't see why else it would have such heavy defenses. Luckily for us though, the _Manu Propria_'s inventor was never able to make it create more than six main chambers. Still, I can't guarantee the monsters couldn't either."

"S-S-SIX?" Link very nearly blurted.

"Oh come on, that's not a lot."

"Yeah, but the idea of having to go through even _one_ more of these things sickens me, let alone four!"

"I guess, but be glad you're not alone. It would be harder to get through if I wasn't with you. Now let's go before we waste anymore time."

"Alright, alright…"

From then on, the two repeated the process, taking turns cracking the codes of each of the cave's main chambers. As Kelli had surmised, the enemies had indeed grown deadlier with every room. The third chamber produced two Wolfos each time the incorrect rune was shown while the fourth yielded two Lizalfos. The fifth room, however, was quite unique. Instead of a group or pair of one enemy, this room's runes released one Stalfos and one White Wolfos every time they were incorrectly mimicked. The sixth, and hopefully final chamber been ensorcelled in a similar, but deadlier fashion. Its runes produced three Lizalfos using Wolfos as mounts, which were the very same enemies that pursued Link and Kelli after they'd first met.

This chamber was indeed the most challenging one yet and Link prayed it would be the final room as he worked to decipher its code. Kelli was also relieved that she took the liberty of battling the Lizalfos Knights, since it was another enemy Link was not very familiar with, especially since his skills were still not on par with her own. This soon led to another train of thought as Kelli downed the first Lizalfos Knight by using a spin attack to eliminate the Wolfos and then leaping into the air to plunge her blade into the gut of the Lizalfos once it crashed to the ground. Link would need to learn more techniques if he was to prevail in this quest and she was just the person to instruct him.

Unfortunately, by the time Kelli managed to destroy another Lizalfos Knight, Link had discovered an incorrect rune and another trio of enemies had been summoned. Kelli's eye twitched as she frantically began looking for a solution to the situation. Within moments, she shook her head, as Link made yet another trio appear after his next attempt at the code.

"Oh man…" Link uttered, eyes wide with disbelief at how badly outnumbered the monsters had the pair.

"Curses! There's only one way to deal with these guys and I don't like it," Kelli opined. "Link, duck to the floor and stay down there until I say it's safe to come up."

"What?"

"Trust me. You'll thank me for this later."

"Alright, if you say so."

With that, Link flattened himself against the floor and Kelli thrust her sword out behind her. She began focusing power in her blade while the Lizalfos Knights, as if sensing what she was planning, charged towards her. They were half a second too slow. Her blade soon glowed a vicious golden color while sparks showered from both edges, the irises of her eyes fading into the same color. Just as the Lizalfos Knights approached her, she unleashed her attack and threw herself into a spin attack. However, this was no ordinary spin attack. It surpassed a normal spin attack the way the Master Sword surpassed a rusty kitchen knife. And that was a stupefying margin.

"What in Hyrule—?" Link gasped as he watched Kelli's attack carry her through several full spins while a golden beam encircled her and carved every Lizalfos Knight to pieces. Kelli at first seemed to have spun so fast that she blurred to invisibility, but Link suddenly realized his eyes must've been fooled by all the light, for she did not move very fast during this incredible attack. Judging from the dead monsters, however, it was fast enough. Once she finally came to a complete stop, she constantly staggered backwards and forwards, which made Link suddenly aware of how dizzy _he_ was after that display.

"Kel! Dang, what was _that_ all about?" Link inquired, bolting to catch Kelli and help her regain her balance.

"It was the ultimate technique of the Sky Guardians," Kelli explained. "The Hurricane Spin. I hate using it though, because it makes me really dizzy and vulnerable, as you can see. Plus, you have to practically be at full strength to use it. If you're injured, feeling exhausted, and things like that, then you can't focus enough power in your sword. I was lucky enough to be able to use it at all."

"Yeah, I bet," Link agreed, allowing Kelli to lean on him until she felt she could stand up on her own again. "Kinda doubt doing it on a full stomach works either. Still, it looks like just the trick if things get ugly."

"True. I feel alright now, so let's move on."

"Good. Man, I hope I get it right this time..."

With that, Link made a final attempt to decipher the rune code. Much to his and Kelli's relief, each rune finally glowed white. Five of the doors vanished, leaving only the one leading forward.

"Yes!" Link blurted, raising a fist. "That door better be an exit, or so help me, I'll go ballistic."

With that, the green-clad hero bolted for the door.

"Hey! Wait up!" Kelli called, racing after him.

The two reached the other side of the door within moments. However, Link came to a sudden halt moments later while Kelli came plowing into his back. Before she could say anything, however, she realized why Link had stopped so abruptly. The room they were now in did not contain anymore doors or runes. Instead, standing before them was a pair of Dinolfos led by an Armosaur carrying an enormous sword. Behind them were two treasure chests sitting atop a raised platform.

"Curses…" Link uttered, gritting his teeth. "I should've known."

"Yeah well, it's better than that _Manu Propria_ business," Kelli pointed out.

"Point well taken."

"Anyway, leave the Armosaur to me. The ones who carry swords like that are tougher than their lance-wielding brethren. I'll help with the Dinolfos when I can."

"Sounds good to me."

With that, the pair charged towards the monstrous trio. Kelli clashed blades with the Armosaur while Link sidestepped the Dinolfos' fiery breath. He quickly launched himself into a forward roll that carried him behind the pair. Link then sprang to his feet and, in the same motion, performed a spin attack which raked his blade across both of their backsides._ Heh, that wasn't a bad move_, he thought, a smile forming on his face. _I think I'll call it the roll attack._ Kelli, meanwhile, was hard pressed by the Armosaur and finally had to give in to its superior strength by playing dirty. She rammed her foot into its gut, feeling certain she'd sprained a few toes in the process, but the blow had thrown her enemy off balance. She followed up with a stab to its side.

As Link rolled away from the Dinolfos' counterattack, he realized that the pair was still standing shoulder to shoulder and that the Armosaur was just beyond them. All three monsters were lined up as straight as an arrow's flight. The analogy giving him an idea, he smiled confidently and produced his Guardian's Bow. Moving quickly, lest the enemy realize his intent and scatter, he maneuvered until he was adjacent to the monsters, and readied an arrow on it before the creatures could return to their senses. Kelli almost immediately figured out his strategy and darted out of the way. The monsters soon looked up to see Link aiming straight for them with a newly powered up arrow and shooting them a cocky grin.

"Bye!" Link blurted and launched the arrow straight for their hearts. It soared through the Armosaur's armor and flesh first. Once it burst out of its back, the arrow pierced through both Dinolfos as if they were made of thin parchment and continued to fly until its arrowhead became embedded in the rocky wall behind the beasts. Link couldn't help but chuckle with delight as all three monsters remained frozen where they stood for a single second and then collapsed to the floor in near perfect unison. Kelli shook her head upon witnessing this act.

"Link… Wow. I have to admit, you're more skilled than I'd given you credit for," she complimented.

"Heh, thanks," Link replied, rather proudly. "You're still better, though. …Hm?"

Before Kelli could respond, small blocks of wood emerged from the wall near the platform to form a rough staircase, allowing the pair to proceed to the treasure chests.

"Ah, excellent," Kelli commented. "Whatever is in there must be valuable if the monsters were protecting it so well."

With this, Link could not disagree. The pair had gone through quite a challenge in the previous chamber alone, much less the entire cave. They agreed to open one chest each, both wondering if perhaps Elemental Jewels were inside. To their disappointment, however, neither chest housed one.

"Geez, all of this for mere bomb bags?" Kelli opined once she saw the contents of both chests.

"Yeah, I was expecting more than that too," Link added, his tone slightly dejected. "But hey, at least with these, we can get up Death Mountain again."

"True. I'm getting the sense though that this cave wasn't a rally point like we thought, though. I think it might've been a munitions storehouse. It looks empty now but I suspect there were plenty of bombs in here before they were used…" Kelli contemplated. However, her words soon trailed off and turned into a strangled gasp.

"What's the matter?" Link quickly inquired.

"Lon Lon Ranch!" Kelli blurted angrily. "And Castle Town! _This_ must be how those fiends leveled them!"

"Whaaat?"

"I'm not kidding either!"

"Well then, we've got to get the heck out of here! They must be stopped! And, let's see if we can use these to give them a taste of their own medicine."

"Indeed! Oh wait… Link, look around…"

It didn't take long for Link to scan the entire room and discover that not a single door was in sight.

"GAAH! You mean to tell me after all we've been through WE'RE STILL TRAPPED?"

"Now hold on, one of these walls could be bombable," Kelli pointed out. "Let's start hitting them and see if any sound different than normal."

"Ah, right."

The pair made no hesitation to begin striking the rocky walls with the blades of their swords in hopes one would emit a telltale, hollow sound. Thankfully, the wall to the left of the platform rang hollow when Link's blade struck it.

"Bingo. This better be a way out, or I will feel the need to strangle something," Link opined, his words causing Navi to shiver since she knew her friend was not stupid enough to try strangling Kelli. The bomb Link set in front of the wall managed to blow it open and reveal a short tunnel. Thankfully, it wasn't empty. Faintly visible on the other side was a ladder leading towards the surface. The adventurers' attention, however was drawn to what looked like a small cage at its base. Link and Kelli quickly bolted through the tunnel, eager to investigate this strange find. Kelli soon halted in her tracks once she saw what was in the cage, another gasp escaping her mouth as her lower jaw plummeted earthwards. Navi followed by halting just as abruptly and remaining frozen where she hovered. Link could almost see why. Within the cage hovered another guardian fairy that looked exactly like Navi, only this one was a light purple color rather than bluish white. Link could only assume that both his friends somehow knew this imprisoned fairy, and his suspicion was confirmed moments later when Kelli and Navi shouted at the same time.

"Vira!"


	8. Training

Chapter 8: Training

"Kelli! NAVI!" the caged fairy cried out, no less astonished than the pair of adventurers. Link merely stood there, his eyes wide and his eyebrow arching.

"Sis, how'd you get in there?" Navi gasped, approaching the cage. This fairy, Vira, was Navi's sister?

"Yeah, Vira, I thought you stayed in the forest," Kelli added.

"I did for a time, but awful things have been happening there lately!" Vira replied, seeming to shudder at the memory. "I left to find you, Kelli, and I heard you were in Kakariko, but just as I reached the entrance, something hit me in the head and let out a cloud of smoke. I passed out and when I woke up, I was here."

"Well, first things first. We need to figure out how to bust you out of there."

"Yeah, hey Kel, I think our arrows might be able to cut through those bars," Link suggested.

"I agree, but I don't want to accidentally hit Vira."

"Good point…"

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to be called Link, would you?" Vira wondered, turning her attention to Link.

"That's me. I had no idea Navi had a sister, though."

"Yeah, I haven't seen her in a long time. Not since she left to look for you."

"I see. Let me guess. You used to be Kelli's guardian fairy."

Both Vira and Kelli could only gasp upon hearing Link's words. Kelli in particular seemed shocked, and tense, at Link's words.

"You…found out, didn't you?" she finally uttered moments later. "That I spent some of my childhood in the forest."

"I did. From Saria and Mido. But enough about that, got any ideas on how to get this cage open?"

"Sigh… I'm thinking arrows are our only option. Our swords _could_ work, but I'd rather not risk it. One errant swing and, well, 'nuff said."

"Agreed. Would you like to have the honors? I figure Vira would be more comfortable that way."

"Of course. Are you alright with this, Vira?" Kelli inquired, trying to inject a reassuring tone into her words.

"Sure, whatever it takes to get me out of this rat trap."

Kelli nodded and then drew her bow. Her hands trembled slightly as she noted just how small the target was, and how easily her arrow could go astray, striking her fairy friend. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and readied an arrow regardless. After carefully aiming at a line of bars just beneath the top of the cage, and instructing Vira to move as far from it as possible, Kelli's still trembling hands released the bowstring. Kelli squeezed her eyes shut reflexicely as the arrow took flight but, to her relief, she heard the sound of metal snapping under the impact of the enchanted arrowhead. Letting out a _very_ deep breath, Kelli raced over to the mangled bars and bent them outward from the cage. The unscathed Vira immediately flew through the newly opened gap to freedom.

"Man, I am so glad to be free!" she opined happily, flexing her wings and flying in circles in uncontrolled ecstasy.

"Are you sure you're unharmed, though?" Kelli inquired, still breathing raggedly.

"Of course. In fact, I've never been better. I was trapped here for what felt like days, after all. I haven't seen light in hours."

"Really?" Link wondered, arching one eyebrow.

"Yeah, it goes back to what I started to tell you earlier."

Vira explained that sometime after the forest had been invaded by monsters, she managed to escape undetected and immediately headed to Kakariko Village. It was where the fairy thought she'd most likely find Kelli. However, before Vira could even begin searching the village, a pair of bat-like monsters had suddenly appeared, trying to grab her by the wings. The fairy had managed to outrun them but, just as she reached the village, a cloud of smoke suddenly engulfed her. Overwhelmed by the choking fumes, Vira had careened through a window, crashed amidst several clay pots and passed out. She awoke in the cage Link and Kelli had just freed her from.

"Oh! That explains the noise from the other night!" Kelli realized. "As well as that fairy call I heard!"

"Yeah I thought doubted anyone would see me through the smoke, but I hoped the noise might attract some attention," Vira admitted. "I wanted to warn you of all the danger."

"I figured as much, but don't worry, Link and I are already well aware of what's going on," Kelli assured.

"Plus, I took care of things in the forest," Link added. "Everything is back to normal there, at least for now."

"That's all good, Link, but it isn't just that Hyrule's being attacked by creepy monsters again, you guys!" Vira protested. "These freakshows are in a class of their own compared to what we encountered in Mayia, Kelli!"

"I know, they've been tough to defeat," Kelli agreed. "They're stronger, smarter and know how to work in teams."

"No, worse than that! Kel, these monsters know _your_ skills! They know you like I know my own wings!"

"What?" Kelli gasped, seeming to stagger under the shock of this revelation.

"Blast! That's right!" Link realized, having forgotten about the Stalfos he had encountered in the Lost Woods. "I was nearly overwhelmed by a monster that used one of your techniques in the forest!"

"Oh no…" Kelli uttered, staring into space. "Then they must know about the defeats I handed their brethren and Notu…"

"Which means they're out for revenge," Link finished. "But this won't stop us! Kel, I want you to teach me your techniques. These creatures are far stronger than anything I've faced before, and I know I'm eventually just going to get myself killed unless I get stronger. If I can, we'll overpower them! They may know you like the backs of their ugly hands, but I'm still fresh in their minds!"

"Yeah, that's right," Kelli agreed, a hint of relief in her voice. "Your idea is a good one, but the monsters will grow stronger as we continue. We should do whatever we can to even up the odds. So let's ditch this place and get started. Vira, do you mind sticking with me for awhile? It's much too dangerous for you to be by yourself."

"Psh, don't have to convince me," Vira replied, bravely working a quaver out of her voice.

"Good."

With that, Link and Kelli proceeded to the ladder, followed by both fairies, and began to climb. However, where there should have been an exit, there was instead a barrier of rock.

"Ah, curses…" Kelli uttered. "There's got to be another way out, that dungeon we just came through is a death trap and I don't want to go through it again."

Link, who had ascended ahead of her, had been studying the rock closely and, finding something, he let out a cheer.

"We won't have to," he replied. "This rock is pretty worn, so we can break through it."

"Link, do you think a bomb will blast through that?"

"It's likely. And this ladder appears to be made of metal, so it should be able to withstand the explosion. I'll head up and set one at the top. The rest of you, get back down and clear the room."

Hardly needing the warning, Kelli slid back down the ladder and put as much distance between herself and the explosion as she could, the fairies speeding off in her wake. Link, meanwhile, had scrambled up the ladder. Near the top was a small gap between the rock and the top rung of the ladder, one where he could firmly wedge a bomb in place. He then quickly jumped off and landed squarely on his feet at the ladder's base, thankful that it wasn't too far a drop.

"D'oh!" he snarled at the impact. "That hurt!"

Well, it was a short drop but not a painless one.

"Cover your ears again!" Link warned and placed his hands over his own ears. Kelli did not hesitate to do the same. Even from a distance, the close quarters and acoustics of the cave made the explosion seem almost deafening. The chamber filled with smoke, the sound of rocks crashing against each other and, thankfully, sunlight and a hint of fresh air.

"Alright!" Link blurted happily despite coughing from the smoke. "Let's finally get the heck out of here!"

The group then immediately raced up the ladder with Kelli climbing first in case she lost her footing and needed Link to catch her. After all, the ladder's steps turned out be rather narrow in width and hard to traverse as a result. Much to their relief, both warriors made it safely to the surface and into the light of day once more.

"Oh, sunlight! Sweet, sweet sunlight!" Vira blurted, who had reason to be the most relieved of all.

"Hey, we're on that plateau behind the windmill," Link pointed out moments later as he took note of where the group ended up and saw the windmill's blades spinning in the breeze. "Makes sense. We've got to get down and find his majesty, though. He's probably been worried like crazy about us."

"Oh! Yeah, you're right! Let's go!" Kelli agreed with a gasp. They had been gone a long time and someone had to have noticed that by now. However, before Kelli could take more than a couple steps, something caught her eye. An odd gleam was coming from a patch of loose soil near the hole Link had blasted open, the sun seeming to reflect off of something partially buried. Curiously, she bent over to scrape the loose soil away and, when the object was revealed, she gasped once more, this time in fear. In her hand, which was now trembling worse than it did when shooting Vira free, was a crimson necklace. A silver charm, in the shape of a sword, was splotched with crimson and tarnish.

"No…" Kelli uttered as tears trailed down her face. "How…how did I not notice this before…?"

"Kel, what's wrong?" Link quickly inquired.

"Link, this charm… It's Judo's…" she revealed. "And it's caked with blood!"

With that, she dropped to her knees and hugged the necklace to her chest, her face splashed with a grimace as tears continued to fall.

"Oh man…" Link responded, his eyes widening. "But hold on. Kel, this doesn't mean anything. Judo could still be alive. We don't know where this blood came from."

"True, but… I can't help but fear the worst…"

"Don't. Don't ever give up hope. We have to keep looking for him."

For a long moment, Kelli did not reply. For what felt like an hour, Kelli stared forlornly at the battered necklace. Then, with a long, indrawn breath, she stood up.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. It's too soon. I'll have to clean this up though. It was a keepsake from Judo's mother and he'll want it back."

Link noted a distinct change in Kelli's demeanor, and for the better, at the notion that Judo would want his keepsake back. After all, you had to be alive for that to be so.

"Good idea, but we'll worry about it later. Let's go find his majesty."

Kelli nodded willingly as she put the necklace around her neck and with that, the two descended the cliff that overlooked the cucco pen in hopes they would spot Daphnes amongst the villagers.

"I don't like the look of this," Link opined.

"Me neither," Kelli agreed. "I don't think it was another raid though, it's too quiet."

"All we can do is keep looking."

As the pair entered the village proper, they continued searching for Daphnes. The two fairies had joined the search, but all they found were tense guards and villagers who were even more jittery from the ongoing raids by the monsters. Eventually, a pair of guards noticed the pair and shouted to them.

"Sir Link! Lady Kelli!" one of them gasped. "We're so relieved to see you both safe and sound!"

"Yes, I bet you are," Kelli agreed. "Where is his majesty? We must speak with him."

"Yeah, we've been gone too long and he needs to know we're safe," Link added. "We've also learned more about the situation in Hyrule, and I think he'll want to know right away."

"I agree. He's resting right now in Lady Impa's house," the second guard replied. "You've been gone for so long that he began to fear the worst. You must go see him!"

"Oh dear… We'll go right away!" Kelli assured.

With that, the warriors rushed to Impa's house as fast as their legs could carry them. Since the village was small, and since the house was well known to both of them, it took mere minutes for the pair to arrive. Upon entering, they spied Daphnes himself. The aged monarch, now looking all the more elderly, slumped forlornly in a padded chair and gazed distractedly into the flames. His expression was grim, his eyes as dull as stones, as if he were silently imploring that the Ferryman of the Dead come for him and end his misery. Kelli needed no further incentive to speak up.

"Your majesty, are you alright? Link and I have returned! We're both fine!"

Daphnes, snapped out of his dismal trance, vaulted from his chair and whirled to face his visitors. His eyes shot open in disbelief, and then a weary smile overtook his features.

"Oh! Both of you are unharmed! I'm so glad…"

"Yes, we're so sorry to have worried you," Link added. "We never intended to be gone this long. We were trapped in a cave and it took us awhile to find the way out."

Link and Kelli then both explained their adventure in the graveyard's puzzling cave and how the spell inside trapped them until they could decipher the puzzle of its many doors and chambers. Kelli also explained the discovery of Vira's imprisonment and that she was part of the cause for the previous night's incident. Though he listened carefully to their story, Daphnes was astonished by the level of the monsters' intelligence. No one had been able to recreate the _Manu Propria_ magic since it was first created. Now Daphnes knew that the evil threatening his kingdom was becoming more dangerous than ever.

"So that's what's been going on… Though when I saw you both go into the graveyard and never come out for so long, I grew fearful," Daphnes admitted. "I feared our only chance at saving Hyrule had been lost…"

"I understand completely," Kelli replied. "But don't worry, we're both here and we can still prevail over this evil!"

"I am glad. And, the information you bring us is valuable. If the rest of these Elemental Jewels can be found, then perhaps there is hope for us after all. As for that cave, I'll send guards and workers to barricade the entrance. If there are monsters in there, besides the ones created by the enchantment, then we cannot allow them to get out. As for your next course of action, may I suggest—"

Before Daphnes could finish his sentence, however, he noticed what was around Kelli's neck, and his eyebrows shot up into his hairline and his face turned ashen.

"What's wrong?" Kelli quickly inquired.

"Milady Kelli," Daphnes inquired, his voice quavering with something that sounded entirely too close to fear, "where did you find that necklace?"

"Behind the windmill," Kelli replied, her voice turning somber. "Link blasted a hole in the ceiling of the cave so that we could escape. When we climbed out, I found it partially buried. It's a little worse for wear, but I'm surprised the blast didn't crust it or blow it from here to Lake Hylia."

Daphnes looked like he wanted to say more, but could not summon the right words. Kelli, however, spoke for him.

"You don't need to tell me it's Judo's. I already know. He told me it was a keepsake from his mother."

"I see," Daphnes replied, his tone still somber and curious. "You've learned nothing about Judo himself, then?"

"I'm afraid not," Link added, his tone also possessing a hint of somberness. "However, he could still be alive and well. In fact, for all we know, that blood might not even be his. It could've come from an enemy he fought and defeated and the necklace's chain might've broken in the struggle."

"That is a possibility," Daphnes agreed. "Still, you two watch yourselves. Be very careful out there. Link, I trust your retrieval of the Elemental Jewel returned the forest to normal?"

"Yes, Saria and the Kokiri tribe are all safe and sound. The Great Deku Tree Sprout is as well. I plan to go up Death Mountain next now that I have bombs," Link confirmed.

"Ah, to seek out Darunia no doubt. Wise plan. Any evil forces on Death Mountain could easily spread to this village for obvious reasons."

"Exactly. First though, I'd like Kelli to teach me a few of her skills, if that's alright with you, your majesty."

"Of course. Do whatever you need to ensure Hyrule is protected. I'll remain in here for a little while longer. These recent events have been...taxing on my health."

Kelli looked suddenly stricken; when a man of the king's years made such an admission, it was often a euphemism for admitting their time was growing short.

"Is there anything we can do to alleviate you ailment?" she inquired, trying not to let her dread show.

"Free my sworn brother and his Goron people, that will do nicely."

"Understood," Link complied.

"Oh, one more thing," Daphnes continued. "You two must take these. I probably should have given them to you sooner, but they will still prove very helpful now."

With that, Daphnes produced two arrows whose arrowheads bore a striking golden orange color enveloped by faintly glowing aura of the same shade. Kelli gasped instantly and nearly stumbled backwards upon laying eyes on the two arrows.

"Can…Can it be?" she blurted with astonishment.

"Yes, it is the sacred Arrow of the Sun," Daphnes confirmed. "Zelda discovered these buried behind Hyrule Castle sometime ago. She had been meaning to give them to you whenever you found the new Guardian of the Moon so both of you could use them. Luckily, she foresaw the danger in Hyrule and passed them on to me before she was taken away…"

"So you knew about the legend of the Sky Guardians all along…"

"Not much about it, but yes."

"So, can this arrow pierce the darkness like Kelli's sword does?" Link inquired.

"Yes. It can turn any regular arrow into a Sun Arrow and destroy the darkness within monsters of the moon," Kelli explained. "I'd been searching for it for over a year now. Your majesty, thank you."

"Yes, thanks," Link added as both warriors took the arrows.

"I'm glad to help. Now hurry so these monsters don't come back!" Daphnes warned.

"Right!" both Link and Kelli blurted at the same time.

With that, they rushed back outside and began planning Link's training session. Kelli explained they would need plenty of space as well as practice targets in order for it to work out. Link recalled the crates that were stored near a potion shop belonging to an old hag. They were stacked in front of a fence that stood between the small plateau on which the shop sat and the larger plateau that ran behind the windmill. Thinking they wouldn't be useful to anyone else during a crisis such as the one Hyrule was currently in, Link and Kelli hauled them into the large open space surrounded by the cucco pen, graveyard entrance, and cliff on which the windmill stood. They brushed their hands off as soon as preparations were complete.

"There," Kelli spoke up. "Now Link, since some of these techniques are more advanced than others, I think it's best that we begin with the simplest skills."

"Yeah, good idea," Link agreed. "What's first?"

"First is the ending blow. As its name suggests, it will ensure your victory over your foe. Now watch as I perform it on the left crate."

With that, Kelli drew her blade and gripped it with two hands. She leaped in the air towards one of the crates, reversed her grip on her blade half way through the leap and thrust the blade into the crate as she landed. She finished by back flipping off of it.

"Ah, I think I might have seen you use that one before," Link commented. "Looks easy enough."

"Indeed. Now you try."

Link nodded and drew his own sword. He then repeated Kelli's maneuver on the right crate. It took him a few moments to dislodge the blade from the crate's surface, but otherwise he performed the technique perfectly.

"Gah… Guess I don't know my own strength," Link opined when he finally removed his sword from its target and back flipped off of the crate.

"Heh, don't worry, I still do that myself sometimes," Kelli assured with a small laugh. "Anyway, the next technique should actually be even simpler for you than the ending blow, but truth be told, I kinda struggle with it. It's called the shield attack. All you do is thrust your shield forward, but see, I've never been good with shields…"

"Oh, well, I think I can help you with that. You do know that you have to be strong enough to even hold a shield properly in the first place, right?"

Kelli looked chagrined.

"Of course. I can _hold_ it just fine. The training I went through enabled me to do so. I just can't seem to keep it steady."

Kelli then drew her shield and attempted to thrust it forward. However, it wobbled slightly and nearly fell from her arm.

"Gah… See?" the young warrior commented.

"Ah, yeah. You just need to practice keeping a firm grip on it. Watch what I do."

With that, Link repeated the shield attack with his own shield.

"Oh, yeah, that could be my problem," Kelli agreed. "I do notice your grip seems to be tighter. By the way, the shield attack is used to open a hole in your enemy's defenses when your shield strikes them. It can also repel magical projectile attacks."

"Oh, awesome. That'll definitely come in handy," Link surmised.

"Yep. I think two techniques ought to do it for now, though. I'll teach you more another time. Can't keep the other Sages waiting too long, you know."

"True that. I guess this means I'll be heading up Death Mountain now."

"Right. One more thing though. That roll attack of yours from that battle in the cave is pretty clever. Could you show it to me again real quick?"

"Sure, I don't see why not. All you do is roll forward and… BAM!"

As he spoke, lunged forward and, in midstride, launched himself into a forward roll. As he regained his feet, he thrust his sword forward.

"Simple, no?" Link continued. "After you roll, you can even replace that basic thrust with a spin attack. How cool is that?"

"Oh wow, that's a great maneuver! I'm sure that with our combined skills, we'll defeat whoever's behind all the trouble for sure!"

"You've got that right! I'll see you later!"

Kelli waved good bye as Link turned his attention to Death Mountain. If something caused a rockslide to block the trail's entrance, then nothing good could be going on up there. Link recalled fighting the King Dodongo and the dragon Volvagia in the dark future, and was well aware of how dangerous Death Mountain could be. Evil power must have struck the Goron tribe as well and Link now wanted all the more to hurry up to their city before it was too late. When he took a glimpse at the high mountain as he approached the blocked gate, Link watched as the dark clouds hovering around its peak convulsed and moved with even greater violence. Thunder roared from the sky around them as bolts of lightning flashed through the darkness. Suddenly, just as Link was about to set a bomb near the boulders which barricaded his way forward, another bolt of lightning soared through the sky and struck the side of the mountain. Startled, Link covered his ears as rocks crashed onto the trail and thunder boomed overhead.

"WHOA! Holy—!" he blurted, getting cut off by more falling rocks.

"L-Link…I don't wanna go up there…" Navi pleaded, shaking behind Link's hat.

"I don't blame you. Geez…"

"Yeah, but… I know I have to go. You need me."

"True. I wonder why no one heard any thunder or saw any lightning before though. Unless…"

"Whatever's going on up there has gotten worse!"

"My thoughts exactly. We've no time to lose. I'll try to protect us as best as I can with my shield."

"A-Alright…"

With trepidation for what might be awaiting him, Link proceeded to set his bomb. He ran back and ducked behind an outcropping of rock as the bomb detonated, reducing the boulders to pebbles. Without a moment to spare, he immediately charged up the trail as soon as the smoke cleared. As he had anticipated, rocks were lying everywhere on the trail and some even blocked Link's way forward until he set more bombs. It also hadn't taken long for him to notice Dodongo's Cavern, the place that housed the Goron tribe's favorite meal, rock sirloin, was barricaded by large boulders as well. Link felt a whiff of nostalgia as he recalled that the cavern had been blocked in the dark future as well, and that he had opened it and slew the beasts within. However, the boulders blocking the cavern now were so huge and appeared to be so solid, that Link could easily tell no ordinary bomb would so much as crack them. And since the food the Gorons ate was inside this cave, Link already began to fear the worst for them and hurriedly made his way towards the entrance to their city.

However, even traversing the short distance between Link and Goron City proved to be easier said than done. The unnatural storm above continued to bombard the mountain with lightning and fierce winds, sending boulders careening down into Link's path. Link's pair of blue earrings shook in his ears as he side stepped nearly every few seconds in order to avoid being popped by a rock, or worse, crushed by a boulder. Navi followed his lead and thankfully remained untouched as well. Link, however, was more worried about the fairy than himself. While many of these rocks would merely bruise him or be easily blocked by his shield, just one of them would squash Navi like an insect. Deciding not to risk it, Link quickly advised her to take refuge under his hat, an idea which the fairy did not hesitate to comply with. Along the way, wherever he could find shelter from the storm and rock slides, he also practiced the sword techniques Kelli taught him. He could never know when he would need to use them efficiently.

After what seemed like hours, Goron City's entrance finally came into view minutes later. Since it was situated underneath a large canopy of rock, and the city itself carved into a huge cavern, it was safe from the falling boulders. Still, Link knew that that was the least of his worries as he hurried inside. Just as he had set foot inside the city, however, all his hopes of finding the Gorons there safe and sound were instantly destroyed. Instead, the place was deserted. The Goron City resembled, more than anything else, three concentric craters dotted with living quarters, passages, murals and braziers. Yet, the City was empty and eerily silent. Even Darunia's chamber at the bottom of the cavern was deserted. The City itself seemed untouched, showing no telltale signs of having been overrun by the monsters, but that still left open the question of where the Gorons had gone.

"Curses… Where the heck could they be?" Link mused aloud angrily as he came out of Darunia's chamber.

The last place to look was the shop next door, but obviously, a whole tribe of Gorons wouldn't fit in there. That is, unless like the forest, Goron City too had areas Link didn't know about. Knowing that he'd already found friends in hidden places, and having no better ideas in any event, the warrior quickly entered. Just as he had surmised, however, it was empty. All that remained were the bombs it normally stocked and a few other pieces of merchandise. Sitting on one shelf was a set of garbs Link was quite familiar with. They were Goron Tunics, the very same outfit he had worn when exploring the Death Mountain Crater and Fire Temple during Ganondorf's reign. They were enchanted garbs that allowed a regular adult to survive in an otherwise unbearably hot place such as the crater.

"The crater!" Link realized as he stared at the red tunics. "I almost forgot. I know the Gorons can survive in there, and who'd be crazy enough to follow them? Besides me, that is. I'll have to slip into one of these first, but it's our best bet."

With that, Link grabbed one of the Goron Tunics and quickly changed, hoping the Gorons wouldn't mind him borrowing it for awhile. His easy-to-fold green tunic was then stashed away in a satchel attached to the backside of his belt.

"Well, let's go," Link declared once he was ready. "I know the Gorons can hide in the crater, but I don't know why they would go there. Unless…"

The warrior then quickly returned to Darunia's chamber and pulled the large statue inside away from the wall. The crater's hidden entrance was still there. That was a relief. The last thing Link wanted to do now was have to climb all the way to the mountain summit in the weather it was in and use the normal entrance. Glad he didn't have to, he quickly rushed through the hidden doorway.

What Link found on the other side, however, hardly astonished him. Just as he had hypothesized, the entire Goron tribe had taken refuge there. Unfortunately, Darunia was not among them. Had a similar curse to the one from the forest struck Death Mountain as well? Questioning the Goron tribe would likely lead Link to the answer. Thankfully, they soon took note of him.

"Hey, everyone! Link has finally arrived!" one blurted joyously. The rest of the tribe soon surrounded the young warrior heavy relief washing over them.

If Link had only recently discovered acceptance and friendship among the Kokiri, he'd discovered it long ago from the Gorons.

"Oh, happy day! We're so glad to see you, Link!" another cried. "As frightened as we've been, we never stopped believing that you would return, even though you've been gone for seven years!"

"Yeah, I apologize for disappearing for so long," Link replied. "Can anyone tell me what in blazes is going on?"

"Ah, well, we're not exactly sure…" a third Goron somberly admitted. "The storm above us has been rampaging for days. Big Brother decided to investigate the crater, but he hasn't been seen since."

Link's eyebrow arched. This sounded unsurprisingly familiar.

"Yeah, and then the storm got worse," the first Goron added. "Lightning began striking the mountain not too long ago. We saw rocks crashing everywhere and they blocked Dodongo's Cavern. We're afraid that if this keeps up, our whole city will cave in from the pressure and then we'll nave neither a home nor food!"

"Just as I suspected," Link commented. "I want to fix this, but I don't know what I can do."

"Well, just before he left, Big Brother told us to tell you something, though none of us could make much sense of it. His words were 'when Link arrives, tell him to look for the retreating lava. It will guide him forward.' He believed you would come too!"

"I see. I don't quite understand what he's saying either, but I'll take a look around. I hope you all don't mind me borrowing this tunic for awhile."

"Oh, not at all. Do whatever you have to! You must find Big Brother!"

"And I can assure you I will."

On that note, Link began his exploration of the crater. Even though it had been years since he last set foot inside it, he still remembered much of its layout. The Fire Temple's entrance was straight ahead on the other side of the crater. The entrance to a Great Fairy Fountain was across the bridge to Link's right. Past there was the second path to the mountain's peak. Link decided that the Fire Temple entrance was the best place to begin searching. He just hoped he wouldn't have to actually go _in_ the temple, as some of his least favorite monsters resided in there the first time he explored it. He didn't even want to think about how they could've been made smarter and deadlier since he'd been there last.

"Man, I'd forgotten this place is really freaking hot no matter what you wear," Link complained as he wiped sweat from his forehead. Trying vainly to think of the Ice Cavern in Zora's Fountain, he pulled out his hookshot and used it to carry himself across a broken bridge.

"It seems the monsters never forget to leave some calling cards behind either," Navi added, gesturing towards the burnt state of the bridge and a toppled pillar at the Fire Temple entrance. Several stone blocks from its roof had fallen as well, blocking the path inside.

"You've got that right. And it seems we won't be going in there anytime soon."

Link sighed with relief, for once in this adventure being glad the monsters _had_ attacked.

"Still don't want to see another Torch Slug, eh?"

"Nope. It's been years since I last saw those gross—"

Link cut himself off when he noticed something particularly peculiar and just stared at it, perplexed. A chunk of rock had been removed from the wall to the left and down below from the Fire Temple entrance. Whether it had been a consequence of the deadly environment of the Crater or if someone had pried it out deliberately, Link could not tell. Whatever the case, what appeared to be some sort of metal lever was sticking out of the resulting hole.

"Um…Link?" Navi called, flying in front of his face.

"Ah, sorry. I couldn't help but notice something strange. Look over there," Link replied and pointed to the lever.

"Huh, I wonder where that came from. That lever wasn't there the last time we were here."

"Exactly. But there's no time for puzzling over it right now. Let's see what it does. I just hope after I jump and grab it, my feet won't end up in the lava."

Even though it was a risky move, Link knew jumping off of the cliff he stood on and reaching for the lever was the only way to get to it. He took a breath to steady his nerves, thankful that the Goron Tunic also protected him from the smoke and other fumes, and vaulted for the lever. Fortunately, he managed to grab the lever with both hands. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, however, the lever suddenly descended a few inches, leaving Link dangling less than a foot above the boiling lava. His weight had been enough to pull it down, and had nearly been enough to guarantee him death by flambé.

"Yeesh, that scared the daylights out of me!" Link blurted, his body shaking slightly. "Funny, up until now I thought I had my weight well under control."

Before Navi could respond to his joke or near miss, however, the lava in the nearby corner began to roil. Fearing it might be rising, Link tried vainly to swing on top of the lever but, to his relief and astonishment, the lava instead was draining. Gradually, it surged away from the area and then dropped by several meters, revealing a hidden staircase that descended into the depths of the mountain. As the lava came to a halt just inches away from where Link dangled, he eyed it curiously.

"Wait a second… Retreating lava!" he realized. "This is what Darunia was talking about! I bet he's down there somewhere and he wants me to find him!"

"Which means he also wanted you to find this lever. Let's go check it out!" Navi added.

"Definitely."

Without hesitation, Link swung himself over the remaining lava and landed safely on the rocky floor next to the staircase. He then traversed it carefully, certain that the next dungeon, and with it Darunia and the next Elemental Jewel, was at the bottom waiting for him.


	9. The Magma Cavern

Chapter 9: The Magma Cavern

By the time Link reached the base of the staircase, he found himself more than he was in the crater. Whatever he was heading to, it had to be much, _much _hotter than the crater itself; even with his Goron Tunic to protect him from the worst of the heat, Link felt ready to pass out. It was then he realized that he must've been traversing deep into the depths of Death Mountain, below the surface of the crater, and towards the fiery heart of the volcano itself. And naturally, it was certain to get even hotter as he continued. Still, whatever Link faced in this place would be worth it as long as he found Darunia and got his hands on another Elemental Jewel. And considering his location, he figured it would more than likely be the Jewel of Fire.

The chamber at the foot of the staircase was fairly small and contained nothing but a barred door straight ahead and two small trenches on either side of the room. Above the door there was an eye switch. However, this one was of a sort Link had never seen before. It appeared to be rusted over like the ones Link had seen in the Death Forest, but instead of the normal rusty gold color, it was enveloped in a dark grayish blue. Link merely smiled upon noticing it.

"Heh, I think I know exactly what to do here," he opined confidently.

With that, he produced his Guardian's Bow and brought an arrow to his bowstring. Using the new power Daphnes had given him, Link transformed it into a Sun Arrow and let it soar into the eye switch. The strange, dark grayish hue vanished and the switch activated instantly. Link heard a creaking sound followed by a strange trembling, and turned to see what looked like two floodgates within the trenches rising. Then, the rumbling grew louder and the room even hotter, which Link didn't even think was possible, as lava began to flow to the opposite side of the chamber. The bars on the barricaded door retreated soon after, allowing Link to move forward.

"Am I bright, or what?" Link bragged aloud with a laugh.

"Don't flatter yourself," Navi replied. "We've still got a long way to go and who knows what else will happen."

"True. I wasn't really being serious anyway. This room was simply that easy to figure out, especially compared to what I've seen so far."

Link then proceeded through the door, curious about what he would be up against next. Before he could even begin to explore the next room, however, he found himself standing face to face with the head of a massive dragon. Reacting quickly, thinking he'd just run into Volvagia's roommate, Link rolled to one side and had nearly released an arrow when he realized the dragon was made of stone.

"Smooth," Navi snickered. "It takes a _real_ dragon to scare most people."

"Shut up," Link fired back.

Calmer, but no less embarrassed, Link examined the "dragon" more closely. It turned out to be just a dragon's head, albeit one as big as an entire real dragon, protruding from the wall straight ahead. Even its teeth had been carved out of solid rock stalactites and stalagmites. Idly wondering which were the stalactites and which were the stalagmites, Link peered into its open mouth and saw a small pedestal deep inside. On either side of the head were hands, or whatever dragons had at the ends of their arms, carved from stone bearing claws of stone that had been carved to be as sharp as the real thing. Despite knowing that the dragon was only a carving, Link couldn't help shuddering.

"For a second there, I thought I was looking at Volvagia's cousin or roommate or something," he opined, recalling the vicious dragon he fought in the Fire Temple during the dark future and giving the much too realistic statue a wide berth.

"I was _almost_ fooled myself. Whoever carved that is one skilled sculptor," Navi agreed. "And must not mind heat much for that matter."

"Yeah. …Hey, there's a stone tablet over there in the middle of the floor," Link replied, pointing to a large square stone sitting in the center of the room. "Let's go check it out."

Navi wasn't hesitant to follow as Link rushed over to the tablet and carefully read it. Unfortunately, its text wasn't exactly encouraging. It read:

_Within this Magma Cavern lies the jewel of flames_

_ Burning with the sacred light of the gods_

_ If ever this flow of peace shall be disturbed_

_ The mountain's rage will consume all_

"Oh no…" Link uttered. "I'm no expert on deciphering stuff like this, but I think I know what this tablet is telling us."

"W-What?" Navi stammered, already knowing it the answer was not pleasant.

"The Jewel of Fire must have once been displayed inside the mouth of the stone dragon head," Link explained, pointing to the empty pedestal. "However, it's not there anymore. That could be the reason Death Mountain is now enveloped in endless chaos. I bet this cavern was built to house the jewel, and that the jewel's power regulated the activity inside the mountain. That _would_ explain why Death Mountain's eruptions were, well, never anything to worry about. At least, not in Kakariko and Goron City. Now, since the jewel is missing and I'll bet my hat it's in the hands of the enemy. If we don't recover the jewel, the mountain could violently erupt if we don't hurry!"

"Ah!" Navi cried, her whole body trembling. "And if that happens while we're in here, then we'll get turned into jerky!"

"Exactly. And much of Hyrule will be incinerated. Which means we have to work fast."

With that, Link immediately began considering his options. A fairly large metal door with bars in front of it stood below the dragon head. On either side of Link were two more doors. The eastern door was accessible, but the western door was sealed shut by chains and a stout lock. Above each of the dragon's hands were unlit torches. In the corners of the room were more small trenches, perhaps like those in the previous chamber.

"Well, this seems pretty straightforward. Seems like all I have to—YAAA!"

Before Link could finish, four large, red slugs wreathed in flames descended from the ceiling, causing him to nearly stumble backwards again. Navi merely sighed irritatingly.

"Here we go again…"

"Ugh, of all the disgusting—wait, I don't need to deal with these things, the door over there's open. I'm outta here!"

On that note, Link bolted through the eastern door, avoiding the Torch Slugs. Ever since the Fire Temple, he loathed the thought of seeing even one of those things again. Unfortunately, the next chamber did not oblige him.

"Aw, say it ain't so…" Link groaned, watching several more Torch Slugs wandering the next room.

"Really, Link, are they honestly _that_ bad?" Navi opined.

"Are you kidding me? Don't you remember being in the Fire Temple? These little monstrosities were practically all over the place! And I just think they look plain nasty. I can't stand them!"

"Sigh… Well, that's the life of a hero for you. You're always going to run into enemies you really wish didn't exist."

"True. Well, time to get to work. The trench continues past this room, so I'm assuming we're going to have to restore the lava flow here too," Link analyzed. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we end up doing this throughout the cavern. If we're lucky, doing that will help prevent the mountain from going kaboom."

"I agree. It'd probably buy us more time to find the jewel at least."

"Yeah, and the next door just so happens to be open. See ya, slug faces!"

"Link, wait up!"

Link made a dash for the metal door, but just as he approached it, a set of bars plunged down in front of it. Several screeches echoed from behind him, scorching his ears. The hero then turned around to see a Torch Slug, bearing a mouth full of sharp, slimy teeth, lunging for him. He quickly side-stepped the creature and forced it to crash into the door, spattering red gunk everywhere. Some of the gunk landed on Link's shield arm and, an instant later, he felt as if he'd just shoved it into an oven.

"Yeeoouucchhh!" he screamed, removing his gauntlet and pulling back the sleeve to see that his arm had been burned so badly that some of the skin had turned black.

"These things are even worse than before!" he exclaimed, shocked at the damage. "It'll take about a gallon of red potion to heal this!"

Before Link could make another move, however, he noticed another Torch Slug had dropped from the ceiling. This one, however, was twice the size of the others and looked at least four times as deadly.

"You slimy things just really want to annoy me, don't you?" Link angrily replied, gritting his teeth against the pain in his arm and drawing his blade. "Alright, you asked for it!"

"There he goes again…" Navi uttered as Link sliced Torch Slug after Torch Slug in half. "Be careful though! If that gunk gets in your face…"

Navi didn't have a chance to finish her sentence but, then again, she didn't have to. A direct hit to Link's face with that searing gunk would leave him blind...or dead. Fortunately, even with their new tricks, the Torch Slugs remained as vulnerable to attack as ever and, learning from his earlier wound, Link kept his shield up as much as possible. Because of the burns to his shield arm, his eyes were tearing from the pain, but Link was nonetheless able to finish off the big one just as easily as it had its underlings. Within minutes, the red gunk was practically all over the room, even in the trench. The bars blocking the metal door rose, opening the way forward. Link then groaned when he saw his sword's blade.

"And this is another thing I hate about Torch Slugs!" he opined. "Having to wipe their slimy guts off my sword! Heck, in this case, I _can't_ wipe it off! I'd probably roast my fingers trying to."

"Now that, I do think is annoying," Navi replied.

"Yeah, especially since this is one beautiful sword I got my hands on," Link agreed. "It was as tall as me when I first got it, but the Great Fairy's Sword never let me down, just like the Master Sword. And I hate having to dirty up all these pretty colors."

"And here I was thinking the purple color and the flowers were too feminine for a macho man like you…"

"No, seriously. In fact, this sword's beauty makes me think of Zelda…"

"Heh, Zelda, eh?"

"Yes, Zelda. But that doesn't mean anything."

"Whatever you say… Hehe…"

Link merely grumbled as, for lack of something better, he scraped the gunk off of his sword on the edge of one of the trenches, sheathed it, and proceeded through the next door. The trench, as before, ran through it to the other side, except a small iron door closed off the far end. However, this time, there was no metal door straight ahead. Instead, nothing but rock blocked the way forward while the rest of the room remained empty. Link's eyebrow rose moments later.

"Okay… This is messed up," he commented.

"Well, wait, Link… Doesn't that section of rock in the middle of the back wall look a little…different?" Navi replied. "It appears to be more flat and smooth."

"…Oh yeah, it does," Link agreed, squinting to get a closer look. "This can't be natural. I don't think it's a mural either, there's nothing on it. Maybe it's some sort of door?"

With that, Link scrutinized the room for some possible way to open this so-called door, but other than the trench, the chamber was as empty as a Redead's brainpan. Or was it?

"Aha!" Link opined moments later after spotting a few large cracks on the wall opposite of the trench. He quickly approached it and made no hesitation to set a bomb at its base. After rushing away and covering his ears, Link watched as the blast blew away the rock and revealed a floor switch on the other side. The hero smiled as he rushed back over and stepped on it.

"Jackpot!" Link blurted excitedly as the stone door rolled to one side, revealing the way forward. Behind it was a tiny chamber that housed another lever much like the one in the crater.

"I don't know, that was a little _too_ easy," Navi protested as Link quickly approached the lever and pulled it down. The iron door in the trench rose seconds later and allowed a stream of lava to pour into the previous rooms within moments.

"Yeah, you'd think a monster or two would—" Link began, but was cut off by a loud reptilian roar. Within the next few seconds, an Armosaur plunged through the ceiling. The armored saurian faced Link, hefting its lance and shield menacingly. Iron bars then descended in front of the door to the previous room, blocking Link's exit.

"I figured as much," Link grumbled, drawing his blade. This Armosaur had golden eyes, which meant Sun Arrows would be next to useless against it. It hadn't taken Link long to notice that his arrow stock was getting low either. He'd need to save what he had left for when they became absolutely necessary. At least he could practice the techniques he'd learned from Kelli in the meantime…but his seared shield arm would surely complicate things.

With that, Link charged towards the creature and, gritting his teeth as he did so, thrust his shield forward before it could react. Putting so much pressure on his severely burned arm made Link feel as if the limb was ready to fall right off, but the technique had worked. Dazed and nearly off balance from the shield attack, the creature stumbled backwards, only to receive at least a few blows to the chest from Link's blade. Link executed the last blow hard enough to knock the monster to the floor. When it didn't move immediately, Link leaped into the air, pointed his sword towards the creature, and finished it with the ending blow. He confidently back flipped off the creature when he knew it was finished.

"Heh, just those two techniques alone has already made this easier!" Link proclaimed happily, still gritting his teeth. "Kinda hurt though."

"Yeah, I should say so," Navi agreed. "Hey, look!"

The fairy turned to see a small treasure chest shimmer into existence on the floor next to the lever.

"Oh, that must be the key we need for that one door back in the dragon head room," Link surmised. "I would've preferred about a dozen red potions, but we should be able to solve the puzzle behind restoring the lava flow here."

"Right, let's go!"

With that, Link kicked the treasure chest open and retrieved the expected small key from within. He then hurried back to the chamber with the dragon head with Navi following closely behind him. Along the way, he watched as the lava flowed through the trench all the way back to the dragon head. They hoped that this would help to stall any eruption which the evil plaguing the mountain sought to trigger. Once Link and Navi had set foot in the dragon head chamber once again, the lava from the previous rooms flowed through the trench and into the inaccessible chamber beyond the dragon head itself. As if reacting to the lava's presence, the torch above the eastern stone dragon hand ignited. In that same instant, a large treasure chest shimmered into existence in front of the stone tablet.

"Perfect! That's gotta be the map!" Link blurted and darted over to the chest. He threw it open immediately, and, just as he'd guessed, the map was rolled up inside. The hero quickly opened it and scanned the rooms inscribed on it.

"There are three floors, and there's only two chambers beyond the next door, it seems. One of them is really small."

"Yeah, that must be where the second lever is," Navi replied as she scrutinized the map as well.

"Agreed. I wonder why this other room is so big though. Guess we'll find out soon. And…holy smokes! The bottom floor is enormous!"

When Link examined the diagram of the third basement floor, he counted more than two dozen chambers, some large, some small, spanning throughout the entire mountain.

"Dang, you're right!" Navi replied, just as shocked. "Just goes to show, the lower you go, the bigger it gets in here."

"Psh, you can say _that_ again. Oh, and check this out. It seems once we go through the door below the dragon head, we'll figure out how to get down there. There are no other rooms up here besides what's behind these other two doors and the floor directly below us has only a single chamber, and it's under the one behind the dragon head. I've got a hunch about this, but I'll save it for later."

"Good idea. We should get moving."

With that, they avoided the Torch Slugs as before and proceeded through the locked door to the west. Unfortunately, Link was forced to halt in his tracks once again. Before him, in the large, hot chamber, were about two dozen red blocks scattered on the floor. Several surrounded the door ahead, blocking Link's way forward, though they were low enough for him to peer over and make out iron bars sealing the door on the far side. Another empty trench lined the eastern wall. Link shook his head before speaking.

"Oh boy… This sure explains things…"

"I must agree…" Navi added. "It's a block puzzle. And we all know what these kinds of puzzles are for."

"Yeah, I know. Because the bad guys like to make us jump through all sorts of hoops to reach them. Anyway, time to get started. The door is sealed off, so there's gotta be a switch for it around here somewhere. The idea is to move the blocks so they don't block either the switch or the door in the end. They're too high to climb."

"Right. I'll find the switch from up above."

Link nodded and chose to start by creating a path to the door. He then approached the nearest block and, deciding not to risk further injury to his shield arm, used his sword arm to shove it with all his might. There were at least a couple layers of blocks barricading the door. Still, Link pushed and shoved, thankful that at least this puzzle would give him a good workout. He wouldn't even be close to as muscular as he was if it weren't for all the blocks he'd pushed, rocks he'd thrown, and heavy weapons he wielded in the past. This also made him realize Kelli must be stronger than the average woman as well, since she was able to help pull him over the cliff in the Kakariko graveyard and carried a heavy shield. Still, he'd be surprised if she could move one of these monsters. They were taller than Epona, heavier than a Lon Lon cow, and Link was moving them at a snail's pace.

"Hey, Link! Back here!" Navi called moments later just as Link was working on the final layer of blocks before the next door. He looked up to see Navi floating over the northwestern corner of the room.

"Alright, just give me some more time here…" Link replied and continued moving the blocks. Unfortunately, by the time he'd made his way to the barricaded door, he realized he'd pushed the blocks to where they prevented Link from reaching the switch even more so than when he'd started. This left him puzzled for a few moments, but he smiled again soon after and snapped his fingers.

"Aha."

Link then went to the opposite side of the nearest block he'd pushed and returned it to its original position. He did the same with one other block that he'd set in the switch's path afterward. Though he had now boxed himself in an area that included the barricaded door, he could now access the blocks he needed to move in order to reach the switch. There wasn't enough space for Link to move any of the blocks far enough for him to get through, but he knew exactly what he was doing. All he did next was push a block directly below Navi and soon enough, a popping noise echoed from behind it.

"Ah, that's what you were trying to do!" Navi realized, descending back to Link.

"Yeah, when I noticed the way the blocks were positioned over here, I figured it wasn't that I had to press the switch _directly_. I had to put a block on it," Link replied with a smile. "But…why isn't the door opening?"

"Up there!" Navi exclaimed, gesturing towards an area above the door. A stone panel was sliding open to reveal another rusty eye switch. This one, however, was the normal yellowish color, unlike the switch from when Link first entered the cavern.

"Ah, clever."

Link quickly made his way back to the door, produced his bow, and fired a charged arrow directly into the eye. Upon its activation, the bars on the door retreated, allowing Link to move forward. He then proceeded through to the tiny room that was shown on the map.

"How's your arm?" Navi inquired as they crossed the threshold.

Link drew back his sleeve, seeing that the burns still looked nasty. Most of his arm was either too pink or red, leaking blood and puss, while some patches of skin had turned as dark as overcooked chicken. The parts that were too pink or reddish hurt as if hot nails had been driven into his skin but the patches of skin that had turned black didn't hurt at all.

For some reason, however, Link was convinced that this was _not_ a good thing.

"That...doesn't look good," Navi opined, sounding worried. "Maybe we should go back to Kakariko for some red potion, maybe twenty or so, and then come back."

"We don't have that kind of time!" Link retorted. "If we find a healing fairy, that will probably do the trick."

"Okay," Navi replied, her tone suggesting she wasn't convinced.

Beyond the door, another iron door closed off the end of the trench while the lever was on the opposite wall. The only light that illuminated the room was a fairly large torch on the north wall. Without hesitation, Link grabbed hold of the lever and pulled it down. The iron door in the trench rose, revealing the flowing lava behind it. It freely flowed into the previous room, allowing Link to retreat back to the dragon head chamber once more. He had to push one more block in order to leave the previous room, but he arrived just in time to see the lava flow into the room ahead. The torch above the western stone hand ignited, and finally, the door below the stone dragon head itself opened, the bars on it rising until they completely vanished.

"Bingo! Now that we've got lava flowing through both trenches, we'll see if my hunch from earlier is correct!" Link proclaimed. He eagerly barged through the door in hopes that what he suspected he'd find in side was really there.

This room, as the map had depicted, was small. The two trenches from the earlier rooms met to form one large trench near the center, which then sloped downward into a curving spiral. The lava flowed into the large trench and down towards the lower floors. Hanging on a metal hook on the wall nearby was a long slab of metal. Link grinned confidently and rushed over to it.

"Just as I thought! We have to use the lava to reach the bottom floor!"

"W-What? You don't mean slide down it like you're snowboarding, do you?" Navi blurted nervously.

"That's exactly what I mean! Metal doesn't normally float though. Unless…"

Link then knocked on the metal slab and the sound that greeted him was one he recognized immediately from over seven years of blowing things up.

"It's hollow! Of course! Man, this is going to be awesome!"

"L-Link, wait! I don't think this is—!" Navi protested. Link, however, paid no attention and plucked the slab from the wall. Navi grabbed onto the end of his hat, murmured something to the effect of "we're all gonna die," just before he swung the "lava-board" under his feet and leaped into the lava river.

"WOOOHOOOO!" the hero shouted raucously as he slid downward on the lava. This was the first time he'd ever had fun in quite awhile. Navi, however, struggled to hang on to his hat and only squealed in fear as bits of lava splashed everywhere. Unfortunately, she soon noticed flaming rocks plunging through the ceiling as well as jagged ones protruding from the lava.

"Link! W-Watch out!" she cried.

"Oh! Phew, that was close," Link replied after he'd swerved to the left to avoid a flaming rock and then jumped over one sitting in the lava.

Even with these deadly obstacles, Link still enjoyed himself as he continued avoiding rocks left and right and making his way down the curvy lava river. Still, Navi continued to shudder. One wrong move, and Link could be turned into ashes. How the heck was he not scared or worried? Then again, Link hardly feared anything. He _was_ a warrior who'd battled all manner of giant monsters and many evil villains, after all. And, of course, he needed to have some fun once in awhile too, even if he was on a quest to stop evil.

After what seemed to Navi like an eternity and a near-death experience all rolled into one, the two finally reached the base of the river, with Link making another flying leap out of the lava and onto the floor while Navi was slouched on his head. He then set the slab of metal up against a nearby wall, an ecstatic grin on his face.

"Woooo yeah! That was even more awesome than I thought it would be!" he opined. "Who knew part of a cursed dungeon could be so much fun?"

"Link, seriously?" Navi retorted, flying off of Link's head. "We were so in danger back there! It was scary!"

"Yeah, but it was still fun! In fact, I had such a blast, I wish I could go back up and do it again!"

At that, Navi merely froze where she floated and then fell to the ground. Link merely shrugged as he picked her up and stuffed her under his hat. He then took a look at his next set of options. There were two doors on either side of the lava river's end, which closed off in the shape of a dragon's tail, which was carved into the wall, as well as legs. Each of the dragon legs had a flight of stairs carved into them that led to a bridge over the river. The eastern door was sealed off by bars while the western was accessible, which meant Link's next path was obvious. However, he didn't believe for a second that the remainder of the dungeon would be easy. Dozens of chambers were still unexplored, and he hadn't even found the compass or the main treasure yet and, despite his confidence that he'd find a healing fairy, he was still worried about his burned arm. Plus, the Death Forest had proven to be a challenge despite that it was only the first dungeon. In Link's past adventures, the enemies and dungeons he explored grew progressively more difficult and the Death Forest was far deadlier than he would ever have guessed. Still, he'd triumphed in all of them, no matter how hard they were, and that said enough.

As Link continued exploring the cavern and checking the map, he noticed that there was a sort of pattern to the rooms on the lowest floor. Behind each of the two doors in the room where the lava river ended were two more doors, both leading into series of rooms that circled around the entire dungeon, though neither side linked to the other to complete the circle. At the northernmost point on the map was a large, oval-shaped chamber, which was probably where the dungeon's boss lurked. However, the map showed no clear entrance to it. This puzzled Link, though he figured the answer would appear to him later on.

Link pressed on, encountering creatures both familiar and new, and eventually realized something strange, something impossible.

He felt _cold_.

"That...c-can't be," he blurted aloud, yet some sort of chill wound its way up and down his spine.

"Are you shivering?" Navi inquired, disbelieving as she finally emerged from Link's hat again.

"Yeah, d-don't ask me w-why," Link replied, bewildered.

Navi flew close to Link's head, so close she could literally touch him, and then flew back as if burnt.

"You're spiking a fever! It has to be those burns, they're getting infected. _Are_ infected, more likely!"

Link shivered again, and not just from the fever. Even if he did take Navi's suggestion and leave to find some red potion, he couldn't surf _up_ the lava river. He wasn't sure if a healing fairy could remedy his condition completely, but he had to find one fast. If he didn't, he was done for.

Not long after locating the compass, Link halted in his tracks while his jaw dropped. Before him stood a vast maze comprised of flaming walls. Enemies likely lurked in the passageways as well. Though traversing this chamber probably caused Link to sweat by the gallon despite his fever chills, he carefully made his way to the end while avoiding as many patrolling Armosaurs, Dinolfos, and Fire Keese as possible. He was forced into a few battles, but prevailed fairly easily thanks to the skills he had learned from Kelli as well as from his own past experiences in this quest. It would have been easier had Navi been able to fly above and find the exit, but thanks to the numerous Fire Keese, it was too dangerous. This hadn't stopped the brave fairy from trying though; she was all too aware that, sooner or later, Link's infection would affect his ability to fight.

Several rooms, small keys, and battles later, Link found himself at the northernmost end of the western side of the dungeon, which was the last chamber before he'd have to head back to the dragon tail room. It was a fairly large rectangular room with a large pillar sitting in the near center. Behind it was a gigantic pool of lava and, on the far side, was a small platform with yet another metal lever. However, it wasn't the lever that caught Link's eye the most. It was the frightened Goron locked in a metal cage on top of the pillar. Unfortunately, before Link could attempt to free him, a pair of deep chilling cackles echoed throughout the room. Link whirled in the direction of the sound and beheld a pair of stone wells from which erupted gouts of flames.

From those gouts emerged what looked like a pair of bombs with arms and legs.

_ This is just about the last thing I need,_ Link groused inwardly.

These too were another bad memory from the dark future. Unnatural flame began to gather about the strange explosives, stretching and bending to form an imitation of a human silhouette. They were Flare Dancers. Link recalled that these creatures danced in circular motions as they attacked and that the explosives at their core were their weak spot...and that those same explosives were live. Link remembered these creatures from the Fire Temple, but he never had to fight two of them at once. What's more, one of them was enveloped in navy blue flames while the other clothed itself in golden flames. Of course, Link easily guessed why.

The navy blue one would likely go down easily if hit with Sun Arrows, but what if its partner tried to protect it? Link recalled Kelli mentioning that sun and moon monsters often worked together because, much like the Sky Guardians, they were more vulnerable when alone. Luckily, Link hadn't forgotten the Flare Dancer's other weaknesses. Though it was an explosive in itself, it was also _vulnerable_ to them. The Megaton Hammer, a Goron treasure Link used in the dark future, as well worked on them as well, but of course, the hero no longer possessed it since he'd gone back in time.

"That means either Sun Arrows or bombs," Link decided and then smiled afterwards. "Or both."

Link reasoned that he should attack the navy blue Flare Dancer first. He snatched a bomb from his bomb bag, lit the fuse and was about to throw it when, suddenly...he couldn't breathe properly. Vicious coughs began escaping his mouth

The sudden shock of it sent the bomb tumbling from his grasp, where it landed right at his feet.

"AIIIEEE!" Navi screeched.

Acting quickly, and narrowly avoiding getting blown up, the little fairy sucked in a deep breath and blew with all the might her tiny lungs could muster. By some act of providence, it was enough to blow out the bomb's fuse.

The Flare Dancers, however, were quick to capitalize on their sudden advantage. Link, his hand shaking from his near miss, tried to chuck another bomb, but these particular Flare Dancers turned out to be much faster than their counterparts from the Fire Temple, and they evaded the explosive easily. Worse still, whatever had suddenly struck Link was getting worse. Breathing became progressively more difficult and he could feel blood pounding in his ears like thunder. The two Flare Dancers danced around the stone wells they'd emerged from and around Link as well, trailing hot flames behind them, which Link had trouble avoiding due to them igniting constantly. To complicate matters, the two Flare Dancers often danced around each other as well, with the golden one shielding its partner.

Redness flashed in Link's vision and something was frothing at his mouth; he was running out of time. But then, he beheld his salvation. He readied his Guardian's Bow and took aim, but not at the Flare Dancers...

He aimed at the undetonated bomb he had dropped, which the Flare Dancers were heading towards.

It was tricky shot under the best of circumstances and, with his lungs gradually failing him and those flashes of red incessantly blocking his vision, it seemed impossible.

But, then again, the word 'impossible' meant very little to the hero who once held the Triforce of Courage.

Link released the arrow. It grazed the bomb's shell, sending sparks everywhere, and one of those sparks relit the fuse. The explosion subdued the golden Flare Dancer and Link quickly began firing Sun Arrows at the navy Flare Dancer. He was only quick enough to get in two hits, but it was a start nonetheless. Link might have congratulated himself, but all that came out of his mouth was a frantic gasping.

"Link?" the imprisoned Goron shouted, finally taking note of the hero. "Link, it is you!"

Unable to shout back, Link could only gesture for the Goron to wait.

"Ohhh, please hurry!"

Link certainly hoped he could hurry, otherwise neither he nor the Goron would be leaving. He wasn't sure how long his failing vision would avail him, and rather doubted he could manage a lucky throw with his bombs. But, maybe he didn't have to. Pulling out one of his bombs, he bit down on the fuse into it until only a bit of it was left. Then, he rolled it into the path of the golden Flare Dancer and released another arrow. Again, his aim held true and the bomb went off directly under his foe. A second hit from a charged arrow impaled the Flare Dancer's explosive core into the stone wall. A second bomb, lit and rolled to the trapped core, finished it off for good. However, Link couldn't rest yet. The navy Flare Dancer still remained and it had grown quite angry at the defeat of its partner. It now began dancing furiously while cracking flaming whips in all directions while its trail of fire burned even more aggressively.

Link was forced to jump out of the path of one of the whips. The red flashes were getting even worse now and his lungs burned as if he'd been holding his breath for the past hour. It was easy to notice, however, that in its rage, the navy blue Flare Dancer sometimes danced wildly in one place, an odd but fortunate occurrence. Link could barely aim with his vision failing but, luckily, he no longer had to. Link fired a salvo of Sun Arrows, unable to see if any hit the mark, but then he was rewarded by the sweet sound of the Flare Dancer's explosive core...well, exploding.

Link's legs buckled under him, sending him crashing to the floor. His lungs had now been completely cut off from air. He was dimly aware of Navi and the trapped Goron both calling out to him, but could discern no words. The redness was now blackness, and it was getting darker and colder and everything felt so far away.

Then, he felt something cool and smooth touch his face. A potion!

With what strength he had left, he uncorked it and brought it to his lips. Navi, squeezing herself under the bottle, tilted it up so that the liquid flowed down his throat. In an instant, Link was on his knees, vomiting up the viscous fluid that the infection had filled his lungs with, and which had nearly killed him. Once the floor looked greener than Link's signature tunic, he sagged against the stone well, his lungs and vision finally clear, and simply enjoyed being alive.

"Um, hello?" the Goron called out.

"Well, duty calls," Link declared to no one in particular, rising to his feet.

"You're going to be the death of me, you know that?" Navi demanded, trying to sound angry but unable to keep a clear note of relief out of her tone. "Well, that Goron tossed you the potion so, yeah, you should help him."

Link hardly needed a reason to help someone in need, but he knew Navi was right. He snatched up the small key dropped by the deceased Flare Dancers and unlocked the Goron's cage.

"Oh, Link! I don't know how to thank you for rescuing me!" the Goron cried with relief. "I'd have gone crazy if I had to sit in that cramped cage for much longer! Not a piece of rock sirloin in sight!"

"Yeah, I bet," Link agreed. "I figured I owed you for the potion anyway. Still, none of the other Gorons told me anyone was missing besides Darunia."

"Oh, they didn't know I came here. I was with Big Brother before I got captured. He wanted me to hide a secret treasure that he thought you should take with you when you came. No one else knows I'm here because this information was to remain a secret. He must've thought you'd need it or something and wanted to make sure it didn't fall into the wrong hands. All I know about it is that this treasure was placed under our protection by the king of Hyrule not too long ago. Why, I'm not sure."

"I see. But what happened to Darunia? And how did you get in this cage?"

"That…I'm not sure of either. I remember being with Big Brother one minute…then in here the next. It's weird."

"Huh… Well, what of this treasure of yours? Do you still have it?"

"Oh, yeah. Apparently, the monsters in here don't give two pebbles about it. And as Big Brother ordered, I'm giving it to you."

With that, the Goron produced a gadget that, at first glance, resembled Link's hookshot. Only, instead of a hook, it had a claw, and where the trigger for launching the claw was, a slider was built into the gadget above it.

"Big Brother said it's called the Grappleshot. It's a sort of advanced hookshot that I assume someone developed at Hyrule Castle, since you know, the king gave it to us. Anyway, like a hookshot, it can pull you towards places or pull things towards you. If you change the slider's position, according to Big Brother, you can also use it like a grappling hook. Latch its claw onto something above you and swing to your heart's content. You could also kick anything in your path while swinging, if you want."

"Oh wow, that's definitely what I call an advanced hookshot!" Link commented as he took the Grappleshot. "Don't worry, I'll use it well."

"Glad to hear it," the Goron answered. "Before I leave though, I see you still have some potion left."

Link glanced down at the bottle the Goron had rolled over to him and noticed that it was still half full.

"Were you injured?" Link wondered. "If you need the rest of it, it's yours."

"No, no. Let me show you a trick that'll come in handy. That wound, where is it?"

Link rolled up his sleeve to reveal his burned shield arm. Despite the potion Link had drunk, it didn't look any better. Then, to Link's surprise, the Goron took the potion and poured it onto the wound. Link watched, dumbstruck, as the potion foamed and hissed and then vanished...leaving his arm looking as good as new.

"Wow."

"Some of the monsters these days can inflict poisoned wounds or burn even us Gorons. That's plenty bad news but, if you pour a potion onto such a wound, it'll clear it right up. Keep that in mind, in case drinking the potion doesn't do the job. And now, I really should get out of here. Or else I'll be monster lunch. I'll see you later, Link! Please help Big Brother!"

"Don't worry, you can count on it."

After the Goron departed, Link turned his attention to the pool of lava. The first thing he did was toss his old hookshot in it. There was no point in keeping it when he had just gotten an even better item that could do the same thing and more. Link then moved the position of the Grappleshot's slider, changing the setting from 'pull' to 'swing' and aimed it for a jagged rock protruding from the middle of the ceiling. After launching the claw into it, Link swung himself over the pool of lava and landed safely on the platform where the next metal lever was.

"Wow, that was fun! I can't wait to kick around some monsters with this baby!" he opined excitedly. "I wonder what this lever does, though…"

"Yeah, me too," Navi spoke up just as Link was about to pull the lever.

"Navi! I owe you big for getting that potion into me."

"Well, since you're not going to stop giving me heart attacks anytime soon, I'll take a gossamer sundae at the Titania Cafe next time we're back in Castle Town."

"Done and done. Well, time to find out what this lever's for. Maybe it'll unlock that other door in the dragon tail chamber."

"Probably."

Link then took hold of the lever and pulled it down. A small rumbling noise then echoed throughout the area. Now, Link was sure it allowed him access to the eastern side of the dungeon. However, the bars blocking the door couldn't have made all that noise. Perplexed, Link quickly made his way back to the dragon tail chamber. He discovered that returning through the previous rooms was a lot easier thanks to the Grappleshot. Many jagged rocks protruded from the ceilings, allowing Link to swing over certain obstacles that had been difficult to navigate on foot, including the maze room. Once he arrived at his destination, excitement filled his mind.

"Navi, look! The tail! It opened a little bit!" Link pointed out, noting the split down the middle of the tail. It reached halfway towards the lava river below it. Link surmised, that if it opened completely, the lava would continue to flow through, lengthening the river more. And, that would mean what, exactly?

"Hey, you're right! But what happens then?" Navi wondered curiously.

"I don't know, but I think we'll find out after clearing the eastern side of this floor. There must be one more lever back there!"

"Yeah, it's just like what we did upstairs, only on a larger scale! And the eastern door is open now too!"

"Thanks to the last lever I activated. Now let's get going. We take too long in here and the others might worry about us."

With that, Link quickly proceeded through the eastern door. Still, he was right. This was a huge dungeon compared to what Link was used to, but what else could one expect when they explored the depths of the largest mountain in Hyrule? Link could only hope that Kelli, King Daphnes, and everyone else in Kakariko understood this. Otherwise, the king's health might decline further, and Kelli would be stressed over not only the disappearance of Judo, but Link's absence as well. Despite this, Link was confident that they knew better than to not have faith in him and he proceeded through the remaining rooms at a reasonable pace. He'd already had a near miss from that burn and the subsequent infection and another such mistake was something he couldn't afford.

Several chambers, small keys, and more monsters later, Link arrived in the room just before the final chamber. According to the map, a tiny room was beyond this one, and the compass indicated one last treasure chest sealed away in it. The final lever was nowhere to be seen, which meant that it, too, was behind the next door. However, a giant pool of lava stood in Link's path and floating upon it were small, round platforms. Above the gaps between these were more jagged rocks like the ones Link used as Grappleshot targets. The solution was clear, but Link feared that crossing wouldn't be as easy as it looked. Even so, he immediately produced the Grappleshot and fired it at the first rock. Just as he'd begun swinging across to the first platform, however, a Red Bubble, which was a bouncing, flaming skull, soared over him.

"Yow!" Link cried, ducking to keep from being burned again. "I figured as much…"

"Me too. Be extra careful!" Navi warned.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…"

Though the process was fairly slow, Link eventually made it across after another close call with the Red Bubbles. He quickly barged through the door, and smiled confidently when he saw that his earlier surmise had been correct. The familiar gold and blue treasure chest sat nearby alongside the last lever. Link approached the lever first and quickly activated it. As before, a rumbling noise echoed throughout the area, indicating that the dragon tail must have opened completely.

"That ought to do it," Link spoke up afterwards. "But I still don't know how to get to the boss room…"

"Yeah, this is weird," Navi agreed. "…Hold on, check the map again."

"…Well, I don't know what good it'll do, but alright."

Link then produced the map and unrolled it again. His eyes widened instantly at what he saw.

"I don't believe it! A path to the boss room appeared! And there's a glowing mark on the dragon tail room!"

"Exactly! The lava river must now lead all the way to the boss!" Navi surmised.

"Well then, let's grab the boss key and finish up!"

With that, Link quickly retrieved the golden key and rushed back to the dragon tail room. Now that he was nearly finished exploring this hot cavern, his heart began to race. All he could think of was a refreshing dip in Lake Hylia once Darunia was safe and the Jewel of Fire was found. In fact, Link actually hoped the next dungeon would be somewhere in the Ice Cavern at Zora's Fountain, or at least somewhere a lot cooler than this place was. This had been the case in both Termina and his first Hyrulean quest. As Link continued wiping sweat from his brow and forehead, he finally entered the dragon tail room once more, and hopefully for the last time. As Navi predicted, the tail was now completely open and lava freely flowed into the newly revealed passageway. In addition, a small metal raft was now floating where the bridge to the other side of the river used to be. A propeller was attached to its backside while a lever had thrust up from the surface. Like the metal slab Link used to slide down the previous stretch of river, it had to be hollow.

"Well, time to take care of business," Link opined and climbed aboard the raft. He then switched the propeller on.

Though the trip was shorter than and nowhere near as fun as the slide down the other stretch of lava had been, Link didn't care this time. He just wanted to find Darunia and the Jewel of Fire as soon as possible. The hero wasn't hesitant to jump off of the raft when he arrived at the tiny chamber containing the massive door to the boss room. Link then took a deep breath, inserted the boss key into the large gold lock, and entered.

This chamber was massive. It was the largest room in the cavern, but of course, that was to be expected. The boss almost always turned out to be some giant monster that needed a lot of space. Still, this room appeared to be even too big for one of them. That is, unless it was a smaller creature who could use the open space to maneuver. Scattered about the large chamber were stone pillars with many jagged rocks hanging above them. Obviously, Link would need to make good use of the Grappleshot here. However, this wasn't nearly what caught his eye the most. The hero froze where he stood when he spotted a giant black horse that was more than twice the size of Epona sleeping atop the lowest pillar. On its forehead was a dark red horn while spots of the same color lined its backside. It lacked a mane and tail, or so it appeared. Just as soon as Link took another step, however, the beast awoke and nearly instantly spotted him. Almost without warning, flames erupted from its body, revealing its hidden mane and tail. Bright wings also protruded from the creature's back as well as its ankles and horn. Its golden eyes glared viciously at the astonished Link as it breathed flames out of its nostrils and soared right towards him, a ferocious neigh escaping its mouth.

This beast was Flarecus, the Ignited Winged Unicorn.


	10. Memories of Judo

Chapter 10: Memories of Judo

Flarecus was a huge, awesome sight; power seemed to fill even the slightest motion of its luminous equine form while the glow of its flaming body blazed like a miniature, earthbound sun. For a stretching second, Link stared in awe and horrified fascination as the beast reared to its full height, scattering a hail of embers as its hooves churned the air. In almost the same motion, the beast craned back its head and smoke began to issue from its mouth. That served to break the trance, and Link darted to one side as a gout of flame hurtled towards the spot where he'd been standing moments before. He gasped as he had done so, the spectacle of the fire breath and the impact of his landing knocking the air from his lungs, and rolled across the hard, rocky floor of the chamber. The unicorn simply let out a furious neigh and leapt, seeming to soar, over him. Link followed the creature's flight, fighting down a burgeoning awe that threatened to leave him paralyzed, and unwittingly spotted indications that the beast was female.

"What in Hyrule—? WHOA!" Link yelped as Flarecus attempted to impale him with her flaming horn. He quickly dove to the floor and let the beast soar over him once again. "And I thought Epona had a hot temper!"

Flarecus was unperturbed by the remark and, in midflight, swept one of her hind legs towards Link. Not having enough time to avoid it, he brought up his shield which prevented the blow from shattering his bones...

...Not that it prevented the force of the blow from plowing him into the wall.

"Dang, that hurt! How am I supposed to even touch that thing when it's covered in all those flames? Obviously Sun Arrows won't do anything!" Link wondered in annoyance remembering Flarecus's golden eyes as he scrambled to his feet.

"Link, this is just a hunch, but I think her horn is her weak spot!" Navi replied. "That glow it has flares up when she attacks. Maybe it fuels what creates those flames and perhaps the unicorn can't survive without it!"

"Yeah, but I'd need to put out those flames first before I try attacking _any_ part of her body!"

"Good point…"

"DAAAAH!" Link bellowed as he found himself raising his shield to ward off a blast of flame breath. Link's shield, by the grace of the Three, withstood the heat but the sheer force of the onslaught forced Link to the floor. "LIKE IT ISN'T ALREADY HOT ENOUGH IN HERE?"

It didn't take Link long to realize that he couldn't fend off Flarecus' flame breath forever, so he began to gaze about the room for anything that could help. The room was dotted with pillars and the ceiling was studded with jagged stalactites.

_Or are those stalagmites?_

Link shook off the pointless question but, as he scrambled to his feet, dawning realization sent the corners of his mouth upward.

"Navi, I'm going to try something," he proclaimed as he produced the Grappleshot.

"Just be careful and don't get yourself burned again!" Navi warned.

"You can count on it."

Link spied his target, a low hanging jagged rock directly over a pillar, and then aimed the Grappleshot. Once the claw had firmly latched onto the target, he launched himself up towards it. After landing on top of the pillar, Link found he had a better view of Flarecus's flight pattern, just as he'd suspected he would. He'd just need to make sure the beast didn't knock him off. It'd be a pretty painful landing, plus Link didn't like the idea of having to launch himself back up again with Flarecus bearing down on him. And, of course, _that_ was assuming the fall didn't kill him. He quickly swapped the Grappleshot for his bow and took aim at Flarecus. Once the hero let go of the bowstring, the arrow successfully pierced the beast's shoulder, knocking her out of the air and sending her crashing to the floor two pillars away. Even better, Flarecus' flames had gone out upon impact. Knowing he'd only have so much time to take advantage of this, Link quickly swung himself over to her, coming to land on her head. Her body was hot, but not too hot for Link to sit there and hack away at Flarecus's horn. She thrashed beneath him and neighed wildly in pain with each blow.

Navi had been right. The horn was definitely the weak spot and even though Flarecus soon threw him off of her and took to the air once more, flames and all, Link had a smile on his face.

"Yes!" he chimed confidently.

"Link! Don't forget she may change her strategy too!" Navi warned.

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Link proceeded to reattempt his own tactic, determined to capitalize on it as much as possible before Flarecus altered her strategy. Link succeeded three more times before Navi's warning was finally borne out. Once Flarecus threw Link off of her head once more, she'd tossed him so far that he was smashed into the wall. The impact was so tremendous that Link left behind a faint impression of himself in the wall. The grimace plastered on his face lasted all the way to the floor, the pain nearly overwhelming him. Flarecus, meanwhile, had begun flying even faster than normal, striking more frequently with her flame breath. She also continued trying to impale Link with her horn, striking in rapid succession and then flying away before Link could react. Worse, it seemed Flarecus had also found a way to counter Link's tactic, for when Link launched himself towards one of the jagged rocks again, she soared at him once more with her horn leveled for the kill. Link, however, was able to drop to the top of the pillar below in time to avoid what might otherwise have been a lethal blow.

However, just as Link landed, he saw to his horror that Flarecus landed on the pillar in front of him. She let out a deafening neigh that could have shattered glass and focused power through her horn. As she watched him, a ball of flame sparked to life at the tip of her horn. It then grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger, _and bigger_.

"Oh crap…" Link uttered, his eyes widening.

"Link, now is a _very_ good time to get your butt out of the way!" Navi shouted frustratingly.

"Right!" Link nervously replied as he launched himself with the Grappleshot again just as Flarecus had reared back and launched her fireball. It struck the wall instead of its intended target, literally melting the rock into glowing magma, while Link swung towards the beast and rammed his feet into the front of her head. Flarecus was caught off guard by the blow, lost her balance and fell to the floor of the pillar as a result, allowing Link to drop to her head and strike her horn once more.

"Aw yeah!" Link happily shouted as he drove his blade into the horn several more times. "You're going down for sure, my beastly friend!"

As if she understood Link's words, however, Flarecus shook Link off of her head again, forcing him to the floor right in front of her. She then clamped her teeth about the back of his tunic, lifting him off the floor and tossing him into the air.

"WAAAAAH!" the hero bellowed as he hit the wall again side first, his ribs shrieking under the blow. His hat was knocked off of his head and landed inches away from a small lava pit. Despite the gravity of the situation, Navi could not help but giggle, as Link's hat somehow rarely fell off his head and he had grown quite attached to it, almost literally. Link's fairly unruly dirty blonde hair was sticky with sweat as he glanced over at his hat, the tip of which sat right next to the boiling lava.

"Huh? That does it! Knock off my hat and almost toast it, will you?" he opined angrily as he plucked it off the ground and put it back on. "You're going down _hard!_"

"Oh brother…" Navi uttered. "Then again, the hat's my hiding spot too, so I ought to be grateful, I suppose."

Despite feeling as if he'd broken something, or more likely, several somethings, Link lost no time making good his threat. He quickly repeated his Grappleshot tactic another three times, striking the beast's horn without mercy when she lay stunned. As Link delivered blow after blow, cracks slowly formed on the horn and foul smoke began to leak out. He smiled during the last few blows when Flarcus finally threw her head skyward in a shrill, antagonized neigh. She desperately attempted to keep her flames and horn lit and flew about wildly, only to crash head first into a nearby wall, her horn shattering under the impact. Flarecus's dying corpse collapsed to the floor below as several large rocks crashed down on top, burying her. Link merely stood there and panted, the heat and exhaustion getting to him.

"Finally…" he uttered as a stone slab nearby rose, revealing the small chamber in which the Jewel of Fire was probably hidden. If Link's hunch was correct, this jewel was also cursed and imprisoned Darunia, just like the Jewel of Forest had served as Saria's prison. Once he finally regained his breath, Link walked into the newly revealed chamber. It was easy for him to spot the Jewel of Fire sitting in a man-made, or rather, monster-made, crevice in the wall, enveloped in dark mist. As Link approached it, the dark mist began to disappear.

Meanwhile, down in Kakariko Village, Kelli had just departed from Impa's house. Daphnes' deteriorating health had been worrying her once more and she'd been helping him as best as she could. As she had begun her descent down the nearby staircase, however, the ground trembled suddenly, nearly throwing the heroine off balance. Kelli looked up to see Death Mountain, the maw of its crater flaring with all of its volcanic might. Kelli suddenly found herself wondering if it was about to erupt when, suddenly, a wave of fire blasted straight up into the air. As the flames skyrocketed, the dark clouds that had been hovering over the mountain began to churn like a burgeoning storm before funneling themselves into the crater and vanishing. All that encircled Death Mountain's peak afterward was the ring of white cloud that had always been there, along with a brisk, blue sky that had been long absent.

"Link…" Kelli uttered, partially with relief and partially with concern. "You did it."

"Kelli! Are you alright? What was that?" Daphnes quickly inquired as he shoved the door open.

"It was Death Mountain. The evil there has vanished! Look!" Kelli replied, unable to take her eyes off the mountain and her thoughts off of Link and his well-being.

Daphnes then turned his attention to the mountain and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank the goddesses… Link must have succeeded. I just hope he's alright."

"So do I…"

"Hey, my sister's up there too, you know!" Vira pointed out.

"Don't worry, Vira. I'm sure they're both fine," Kelli assured with a smile. "Link's a professional hero, after all, and he'd never let anything happen to Navi."

"That's true."

Back in the Magma Cavern, Link watched the Jewel of Fire glow ever more brightly. He knew it wouldn't be long until Darunia appeared, but the evils of the mountain might take longer to reverse than those in the forest, and Link was glad for the reprieve.

"That was a close one back there," he admitted. "I haven't had a near miss like that since Termina. And, the way I froze up when Flarecus attacked, yikes!"

"I heard about the Great Dragons having a trick like that," Navi spoke up. "It's called dragon-awe. The Great Dragons were so awesome and terrifying, that people seeing them just froze up like they'd all been hit with ice arrows."

"Yeah, but that beast wasn't a dragon."

"True, but maybe whoever is enhancing these monsters is trying to duplicate the effect. It must not have worked though, because even you wouldn't be able to withstand it without the Triforce of Courage. That's probably why this didn't happen with Volvagia as well."

"I miss having the Triforce of Courage. At least those...what _are_ those things in the ceiling anyway? Are they stalagmites of stalactites?"

"Oh, honestly! You've been in more caves than you've got fingers and toes and you don't know the answer to _that__?_"

"Do _you__?_"

Navi opened her mouth, but nothing came out in reply to Link's question. Before Link could rub it in, the Jewel glowed its brightest and Darunia finally appeared before him, safe and sound. The boss of the Goron tribe became wide eyed when he beheld the one Sworn Brother he hadn't seen in years.

"Link? Link, Brother! It really is you!" he blurted happily.

"Yeah, it's me. All flesh and blood," Link replied with a smile, wincing a bit as his battered ribs ached. "A little worse for wear, but here I am."

"I always knew you'd return, Brother. But holy Dodongos, you look like you jumped in Lake Hylia! I almost didn't recognize you with your hair so soaked."

"Yeah, it's too bad this Goron Tunic doesn't help sweating," Link agreed, scratching the back of his head. "Anyway, I had a hunch I find you down here. The same thing happened to Saria."

"Really? Then the rest of the Sages must be trapped within Elemental Jewels as well," Darunia surmised. "And that means those jewels have also been cursed by the evil threatening Hyrule."

"So you know about the jewels too?"

"That's right. Lady Impa found some information on these artifacts while browsing Hyrule Castle's library. We Sages wanted to learn more about the jewels, but then all of this craziness happened. Dark clouds began covering Death Mountain and I went to the crater to investigate. I also had a subordinate come along with me to hide a treasure we were guarding for King Daphnes in the Magma Cavern just to be on the safe side. I don't know if he succeeded though. I remember entering the cavern with him, but then…nothing."

"I figured as much. I found that Goron trapped in a cage in another part of the cavern. I was badly burned at the time and he rescued me. Of course, I returned the favor by busting him out of there. He didn't remember getting captured either, but he gave me the treasure saying that you wanted me to take it."

"I see. And yes, I wanted you to hold on to it for now. I never told Daphnes that I was going to let either you or Kelli take it, but I know he would approve."

"Agreed. And speaking of Kelli, I'm working with her to figure out what's going on, so don't worry too much about it. If anything else happens, you can count on us."

"Glad to hear it, Brother. Now let's return to the surface. I'm sure you've had enough of this heat."

"Psh, more like enough to last me a lifetime! I'm dying to get out of here!"

"Before we leave, there is something you should know, Brother. It is a question which I know has long plagued you and which must now be answered."

Link sucked in his breath expectantly, thinking Darunia was about to reveal the location of some powerful weapon that could turn the tide against evil.

"The difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite is that stalagmites rise from the floor and stalactites hang from the ceiling. The trick to remembering this is that stalactites have to hold on 'tite' so that they don't fall from the ceiling."

Link deflated, trying _very_ hard to hide his disappointment and chagrin, while Navi was literally quivering in the air as she tried to keep herself from laughing.

"Thanks," Link replied simply, then adding under his breath, "though I was kinda hoping for something a bit more practical."

With that, Link took the Jewel of Fire from the crevice and followed Darunia into the blue warp portal that had shimmered into existence earlier.

Moments later, the two landed in front of the passage leading from Goron City to the Death Mountain Crater. The dark clouds that had previously covered the sky were gone, and there were no signs of a storm at all. The wreckage from the Fire Temple was still lying about, but other than that, the crater was the same as Link had remembered it. The Goron tribe had returned to their home with the lone exception of a lone Goron waiting in front of the doorway to Goron City. He nearly jumped with joy when he saw Link and his boss appear before him.

"Link! Big Brother Darunia!" the Goron exclaimed. "You both made it out!"

"That we did, and it's all thanks to our brother here!" Darunia declared with a smile.

"Aw shucks," Link replied, scratching the back of his head. "I was only helping out old friends and allies. I really ought to be going soon, though. Anymore of this heat and I'll just keel over!"

"But of course," Darunia agreed. "Keep the tunic, by the way. You never know when you might need it again."

"Definitely."

"In any case, the others will be so thrilled to see you both are safe!" the Goron continued. "Let's hurry inside!"

The trio didn't hesitate to re-enter Goron City. Just as Link had suspected, the tremors on the mountain had stopped, and all was as it used to be. Once Darunia and Link greeted the Goron tribe again, Darunia directed Link towards the largely empty bottom level. Upon reaching it and ensuring they were alone, the green-clad hero turned to face the Goron boss.

"There's one more thing I'd like to ask, by the way…" he spoke up.

"What would that be?" Darunia wondered.

"I saw that tablet in the Magma Cavern and I have the Jewel of Fire, but is it safe for me to keep it for now?"

"Oh that? Don't worry. From what little we Sages know so far about the jewels, if the Jewel of Fire is in your hands, the mountain will be fine. I suspect the same holds true for Kelli. You only need to keep it from falling into the wrong clutches again."

"Oh, good. I can definitely handle that. I'll be leaving now!"

"Farewell, Brother! And good luck!"

With that, Link waved good bye to the Gorons and headed back to the mountain trail.

Along the way, Link changed out of his sweaty Goron Tunic and contemplated on how Kelli would react when he told her he'd had a brush with death. He loathed the idea of making her worry more, but he knew she had to know, especially if she knew ways he could avoid another such brush with disaster. Besides, she might not know that potions could be poured onto the body to heal certain afflictions, and he ought to tell her. The pair had to be prepared for anything, after all, and if Kelli didn't learn as much as she could about the strength of her enemies, it could very well cost her dearly. And Link knew he could not afford that. She was his partner and it was up to both of them to protect each other as well as work as a team. He would also suggest that Kelli accompany him in dungeons from now on in case one of the two were to get in trouble again. He suspected that some of the challenges ahead would be too great for either to conquer along and, if one of them did run afoul of danger, the other could rush to the injured one's aid. This notion did, however, carry a risk. If both Link and Kelli were off exploring dungeons, then Kakariko would be left vulnerable. Link simply could not risk the lives of all the villagers and townsfolk seeking shelter there. But, if Link was killed, how safe would they be in any case?

Then again, Link also had the melody Kelli had taught him. If he knew she'd be able to find him, Link could call upon her to come to his aid if he needed it. Unfortunately, the same didn't hold true for Kelli herself. If she was hurt and no one was around, she'd have no way of signaling Link or anyone else for help. As long as Kelli remained in the village, she was surrounded by potential witnesses and people who could aid her if she sustained a serious wound. Link could only hope that, should he be in need of help again, that he was in an area Kelli could reach quickly if no one else could. His thoughts were interrupted when he finally re-entered Kakariko and spotted Kelli standing at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the mountain trail, her back facing him. Link quickly rushed up to her, glad to see that she was unharmed and that the village appeared to have remained safe during his entire trip in the mountain.

"Link!" Kelli cried when she turned around, gasping in relief. "I'm so relieved you're safe!"

"And I'm glad to see you're alright," Link replied with a smile. "What about Vira?"

"Oh, she's fine too! I asked her to keep an eye on his majesty while I waited for you. I figured you'd be returning soon. You were gone so long and we were starting to worry."

"Really? Sorry about that. That cavern I had to go through was nuts. But, I gotta admit, it was kind of fun too!"

"What? Are you insane? You just came out of a smoldering hot volcano where you could've easily been roasted to death! And you're _still_ sweaty!"

"I know, but come on! Even you must have fun slicing monsters to pieces sometimes!"

"Maybe, but I wouldn't have a good time going through the interior of a boiling hot mountain!"

"Eh, suit yourself then."

"Kelli!" a feminine voice called out. The trio turned to see Vira racing towards them, so fast that several villagers had to leap out of the way. Her maniac speed and her frantic tone all suggested that she did not have good news.

"Vira! What are you doing here? You were supposed to keep an eye on his majesty until Link and I got back!" Kelli replied.

"Yeah, I know, but his majesty insisted that I check up on you because you were taking awhile," Vira replied. "And Navi, Link, I'm glad to see you two got back alright!"

"Believe me, it wasn't easy," Link commented.

"Yeah, Mister Hero of Time here almost got his butt handed to him," Navi added.

"What?" Kelli gasped.

"Navi, shut it. Kelli, I'll tell you later. Right now, we need to let his majesty know that I'm alright and that the Gorons are safe," Link protested.

"Ah, yes, of course. Let's hurry. You got the Jewel of Fire, right?"

"Yep, got that too."

"Great!"

With that, the friends headed for Impa's house once more, in hopes that Daphnes' condition hadn't worsened. Despite Link and Kelli's recent victories, Hyrule's fate still hung by a thread. If King Daphnes died from the strain of the crisis, then the battle might very well be lost even if the two warriors did find the Elemental Jewels. Zelda's fate was unknown, and there was no one else to lead the kingdom should the worst happen. Along the way, Link told Kelli he'd prefer not to mention what had occurred in the Magma Cavern in front of Daphnes, as the ailing king surely had enough on his mind already, and insisted that it wait until their meeting with him was finished. Naturally, Kelli agreed, and the two entered the house moments later. As before, Daphnes was in a chair in front of the fireplace, the fire blazing warmly. He did not look much better than he had earlier; his flesh had become deathly pale and his hands trembled alarmingly.

"Your majesty, I'm back! Don't worry, I'm alright!" Link quickly spoke up.

"Oh! Link! I had hoped as much," Daphnes replied, standing up with much effort and laboriously approaching the heroes. "I was confident that you would succeed in saving Death Mountain and the Gorons, but I couldn't help worrying that you'd come back injured since it took you such a long while…"

"Can't say I blame you there," Link replied, guarding his words carefully. "But all's well. Darunia and the Gorons are safe, as is the mountain."

"Excellent. By the way, I recently heard from Lon Lon Ranch."

"Seriously?" Kelli gasped. "What's going on? Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, what of Malon and Talon? And Ingo too? Even he didn't deserve what happened over there!" Link added. Link never was too fond of Ingo, who was Talon's surly ranch hand. In the dark future, Ingo had supported Ganondorf in exchange for becoming the new owner of the ranch. The last time Link had seen him, which was when Malon had given Epona to him, he complained that Talon was too lazy. Sure, Talon didn't do much work, but at least he cared about the animals and his daughter. Ingo, it seemed, was cut from a very different cloth.

"I agree. Ingo can be a pain in the butt, but even so," Kelli replied.

"Well, they say they're fine, but they report that the ranch has been looted," Daphnes explained. "All manner of tools, supplies and even their savings have all been stolen. Undoubtedly, the monsters are responsible."

"What? Why would monsters loot a ranch?" Link wondered. "Unless…"

"They're using the tools to build hideouts or depots and maybe even weapons," Kelli finished. "Heck, a pitchfork or hammer could be used _as_ weapons. And, the ranch would have feed for livestock, saddles, bridles and horseshoes which could be used for the pack animals moving the materials around or for enemy warhorses."

"Agreed," Daphnes replied. "The three of them had to leave the ranch to round up some stray animals and, upon their return, they discovered what had happened. Link, while they could very well obtain new tools after Hyrule is safe again, it would benefit them greatly if you could get the old ones back for them. If Kelli's surmise is correct, it may very well benefit us all."

"Oh, I can do that. I'll pay a visit to the ranch when I leave," Link agreed.

"Good. One more thing though," Daphnes continued. "I also heard from King Zora. He was keeping in touch with me and his last message was most dire. You both know how Zora's Fountain and Zora's River supply Lake Hylia and Gerudo Valley with the kingdom's water, right?"

"Yeah," Kelli confirmed.

"Well, for an unknown reason, the flow of the waterfall at the entrance to Zora's Domain has declined sharply. King Zora fears that, if this continues, the flow of water may very well stop completely."

"What?" Link and Kelli both shouted at the same time.

"Please! Not so loud!" Daphnes replied with a grimace. "The severity of this situation cannot be overemphasized. If the waterfall does stop flowing, then the monsters will be able to enter and attack Zora's Domain at will. And, even worse, the rest of us will be left to die of thirst."

"This is bad…" Kelli commented. "Link, maybe you should hold off on going to the ranch."

"Yeah, I guess I should. Do they know Ruto is missing too?" Link inquired.

"Yes. King Zora wanted to ask Kelli to help find her, but I told him I'd sent her to find you," Daphnes explained. "He was...displeased at the notion of delaying his daughter's rescue, but he did agree that both of you working to free Hyrule from this evil and save everyone was a better idea."

"Wait, King Zora remembers me?" Link wondered, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, he learned of you through Ruto in much the same way I did from Zelda."

"Oh no… I was afraid of that…"

Link brought a hand to his face. When Zelda had sent Link back seven years into the past, he landed right before his first meeting with the Hylian princess. That meant he wouldn't have met the Gorons or Zoras yet. However, the Sages remembered the dark future, so they still recalled Link and his heroics as well. Darunia had obviously passed the story on to his tribe, and now Ruto had apparently done the same. And, _that_ meant she'd likely annoy Link again with her forwardness. Kelli giggled when she realized what the hero was thinking.

"I did hear about Ruto's little crush on you," she taunted.

"Oh, please don't bring that up…" Link begged. "Besides, I…"

"What?"

"Nothing, never mind."

"Oooh, does Link have a secret crush of his own?" Navi cut in. "And didn't you say back in the cavern that your _beautiful_ sword reminds you of Zelda?"

"Oh ho ho…" Kelli snickered, noting Link's cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.

"Ah, the hero and his princess! How classic!" Vira put in cheerfully.

"Alright, knock it off!" Link retorted.

All Daphnes did in reply was raise an eyebrow.

"Okay…" he uttered, getting that "awkward" feeling. "In any case, Link, it's important that you investigate what has happened to the waterfall as soon as you can."

"Of course," Link complied. "I'll look for clues on Ruto's whereabouts while I'm at it as well."

"Alright. Kelli, what of your search for Judo?" Daphnes replied, turning his attention to the suddenly somber heroine. "Have you found anything more besides that necklace?"

"Sadly, no…" Kelli reported. "But I'll keep looking. Are you sure there's nothing more you can tell me about him?"

"I could tell you some things, but they wouldn't help you to determine his whereabouts. And besides that, it would please you more if Judo told you himself. Trust me. I can tell you, though, that he has become a fine young man."

"Ah… I'm glad to hear that. May we leave now, your majesty?"

"Yes, of course."

With that, the two heroes and their fairies departed the building and traveled back towards the well. Just then, Kelli remembered Link still had something to tell her.

"Now Link, you said you were going to tell me about what Navi said earlier?" she inquired.

"Oh, right… Um… Well, you see…"

Link wasn't sure how to begin. It seemed no matter what he said in his head, the end result was Kelli pummeling him.

"Link, what happened?" she demanded, only to hear Link stammer more. "Don't make me use my bow!"

"Whoa, okay, okay… I. was…almost killed," Link revealed, turning away.

"You were WHAT?"

"Oh boy…" Vira uttered. Having known Kelli for years, she knew what was coming next.

"I-I got burned really badly and it got infected!" Link explained. "Fluid built up in my lungs and I nearly suffocated! I was careless, I know, and I only lived because I happened to be near a captive Goron who had potions on him…"

"You didn't have _any_ potions with you?" Kelli blurted angrily. "Are you crazy?"

"Hey, stop yelling at him!" Navi cut in before Link could answer. "That cavern was a tough place to conquer! You should've seen its boss!"

"Yeah, but you should always bring medicine with you!" Kelli protested.

"Well, you should quit bossing us around! Maybe Link should have brought medicine, but for your information, I almost got blown up! We both had it tough in there!"

"Navi, stop it. She's not bossing us around. Kelli knows more about what's happening than either of us!" Link protested.

"That's right!" Kelli added. "And I'm saying Link went in too ill-prepared! He should've known he'd be at a high risk for burns and heat and a whole bunch of other injuries! It's a bloody _volcano!_ I know I wouldn't have been so forgetful!"

"So you're saying you're better than him? Now I'm really getting ticked off! I let that incident back in the castle dungeon slide, but now I've had it with you!"

"Oh my gosh…" Link uttered with a sigh and brought a hand to his face again as Navi began ramming herself into Kelli's chest.

"Ouch! YOU MUST REALLY WANT TO GET SQUISHED, DON'T YOU?" Kelli exploded.

"OH YEAH? GO AHEAD AND TRY!" Navi retorted in rage.

"OH COME ON! This is ridiculous and immature!" Vira interrupted and grabbed her sister from behind. Navi desperately attempted to pull away from her sister, but Vira's grip was too strong.

"Yeah, now you're making _me_ angry! Put a sock in it, both of you!" Link added, yanking Kelli's arms behind her before she could pluck Navi's wings off.

"Ugh! Hey!" Kelli blurted. "Stop it!"

"Vira, let go of me!" Navi protested.

"Not until you calm down!" Vira insisted.

"That goes for you too, Kelli," Link added before she could say anything.

"Well… Fine," Kelli replied. "I realize this was childish… I suppose I'm still really upset over Judo."

"Thank you," Link replied and released her. "Navi, why don't you go under my cap for awhile?"

"I agree with that idea," Vira added. "You seriously need to chill."

"Hmph…" Navi grumbled.

"Navi, get in the hat now," Link ordered, his patience with the fairy wearing thin.

"Whatever. I don't want to see her face anyway."

With that, she disappeared beneath the brim of Link's hat.

"Link, I'm sorry if I'm being a brat…" Kelli spoke up moments later.

"It's alright. I can understand that you're worried about Judo, and Navi went through too much back in that cavern because of me."

"Yeah, I bet… Hey Link, if you don't mind me asking, would you help me out a little before you leave?"

"Sure, I think the waterfall can hold out for a bit longer. What can I do?"

"Well, I wanted to look around in Judo's house, but it's closed up. I need help finding a way in. Though I'd hate to just break into it."

"Ah, for more clues to his whereabouts. Good idea. If he really does know how to fight, then we could use his help."

"Agreed. But even if he doesn't, I just need to see him again so badly…"

"But of course. Let's go."

However, the pair hadn't taken more than a few steps when a grumbling Navi emerged from Link's hat. Obviously, she had no interest in even being anywhere near Kelli. With what might have been a rather vulgar insult in the fairy tongue, she flew off.

"Sigh… You guys go on ahead, I'll try to bring her around," Vira decided and followed.

"Alright…" Link agreed. Kelli merely nodded as the pair continued to Judo's house.

As Kelli had said before, it had been closed up. The door was boarded up and, though the curtains were drawn, Link didn't doubt that the windows were likewise barricaded. What little they could see of the interior revealed that the rooms were dark and dusty, as if it hadn't been lived in for years. The blue roof also had lost several shingles and even had what appeared to be several bird nests dotting its surface. Wherever Judo and his mother had gone, it looked as though they didn't plan on returning. Kelli sighed as she and Link came to a halt near the door.

"See? There's no way I'd ever get in there by myself," she spoke up. "But I can't help thinking there might be information in there that we need."

"I can see why. I'd suggest hacking at the boards with our swords, but then we might accidentally slice the door in the process…" Link contemplated. "Prying the boards off would work better but, unless you happen to have a key, we won't be able to get in without kicking the door down."

"Yeah…" Kelli agreed, glancing from the building to Link, which was followed by a gasp. "Link! There's a red glow coming from your bag!"

"Huh?" Link replied, reaching inside and producing a glowing Jewel of Fire. As Kelli had said, it was glowing with a deep crimson hue and was growing steadily warmer as well. He had a hunch what was coming next, and his surmise was proven correct when the jewel caused flames erupted from the jewel. The flames washed over the door, yet did not spread to the rest of the house. Within seconds, the boards sealing the door shut were burned to a crisp and fell to the ground.

"Oh… I should have guessed," Kelli commented afterwards. "I wonder if the door is locked."

"I don't know why I didn't think of the jewel burning the wood either," Link agreed. "Anyway, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. Judo apparently went to a lot of trouble to make sure nobody got in."

Kelli then approached the door and jiggled the knob, but it did not open.

"Dang…" she groused.

"I guess that means you don't have a key after all," Link concluded. "Well, now what?"

"Don't worry, I have an idea. Judo taught me this trick a long time ago when he first showed me his necklace. It was a key of sorts and he would use it to unlock the front door and sneak out whenever his mother didn't want him outside, such as when the weather was bad or he'd been misbehaving. He just hated being inside for too long and enjoyed having fun and playing outside, rain or shine. I didn't particularly like being in rain for too long, but I joined for him anyway."

"Ah, so you lived with him?"

"Yeah, but his mother didn't want to raise me as her own. Just as a child in need. She might have changed the lock on the door though, so I don't know if the necklace still works as a key. Let's hope it does."

With that, Kelli took the necklace around her neck by its sword charm, the blood stains having been meticulously polished away, and inserted it into the lock. To Link and Kelli's pleasure, the lock clicked and the door unlocked.

"Excellent!" Kelli cried and hurried inside. Link quickly followed.

The inside was dark, so much so that neither of the pair could see their hands in front of their faces, but the Jewel of Fire soon flared to life once more. The warm light bounced off of the shiny surface of the sword necklace as Kelli moved about. The living room and kitchen, however, were quite dirty and cobwebs had formed in the corners of the ceiling. Dust accumulated on a few shelves and pieces of furniture as well.

"Wow… Aside from the filth, this place is exactly as I remember it," Kelli spoke up. "Barely anything has changed by the look of it. I really want to see Judo's room though."

"Makes sense," Link agreed, then noticed the staircase nearby. "Upstairs, right?"

Kelli nodded and led Link to a small bedroom on the second floor. It was a boy's bedroom, of a Spartan decor. The walls were painted blue, the dresser a bland brown and of decidedly unremarkable appearance, and the simple bed had plain blankets and pillows. On the wall to the left was the sole decoration; a painting of what appeared to be a Hylian knight. A small wooden desk with two chairs was in front of the window while a folded blanket was between the closet and the knight painting. Atop the desk sat an inkwell and quill along with a small book with a dark brown cover.

"Is that a diary of some sort?" Link inquired.

"Yeah, Judo's mother bought it for him, but he practically never used it. He just hated writing and studying and would have rather been outside exploring and adventuring. Much like we do, I guess," Kelli explained. "And that blanket by the closet… That's my sleeping bag. I can't believe they kept it…"

"I see…"

Kelli sniffled upon gazing at the sleeping bag. It seemed that Judo and his mother had missed her very much, making sure her modest accommodations were waiting when she finally came home. Mira very much wanted Kelli to have a warm bed, but there had simply not been enough room in the house for a spare bedroom or bed. Kelli had said she never minded this, and was grateful enough to have food and a roof over her head. She then went to open the top desk drawer, wondering if her best friend had kept other mementos from their childhood. Kelli immediately gasped and froze when she laid eyes on what she saw. She then produced a tattered sheet of parchment and on it was a child-like drawing of two figures. One greatly resembled Kelli as a little girl, as it had the blonde hair, black headband, and green tunic. The other figure was a boy with light brown hair, blue shorts, and a white shirt. Obviously, it was an image of Judo. Across the top were the words "Best Friends Forever."

"Oh my gosh… This is…" Kelli stuttered, tears forming in her eyes. "Judo and I… We called this our Friendship Pact. We made it so we'd always be best friends…"

"Wow… That is quite nostalgic…"

Kelli said nothing. Suddenly, she had an urge to open the diary, wondering if perhaps Judo had written in it after all. What she had found only shocked her more as a gasp escaped from her mouth.

"He-He _did_ write in the diary!" she cried. It was a short entry, but the words in it would soon have an immense impact upon her life.

"Let's hear it then," Link insisted. Kelli nodded and began reading.

"'I can't believe it… Tomorrow's the big day and I'm actually writing something in this book. I'm excited, yet sad at the same time. Kelli, I wish you were here so you could come with me. I still want to cry every now and then, but I know I must stay strong for both of us. I know you're out there somewhere, doing great things for Mom and I and many others. Now it's my turn…to make you…proud…'"

At this Kelli burst into tears and dropped to her knees as she stammered the last few words.


	11. King Zora's Tale

Chapter 11: King Zora's Tale

"Dang…" was all Link could utter as the tearful Kelli finished reading Judo's lone diary entry. Link wanted to say more, to say _something_ that might console his distraught partner, yet words failed him. He hadn't even met Judo, yet he could clearly see why Kelli was crying her heart out over him. It was undeniable that the friendship they shared had been invaluable to both of them and that nothing would keep them apart forever; especially not if Link had anything to say about it. Link might only know Judo through Kelli's anecdotes and from the rather meager information from the diary, but Link was already convinced that Judo was a man of honor. Compassionate, brave, loyal and eager to make good on the faith others placed in him. He and Kelli, it seemed, needed each other as much as Link and Navi needed one another, and perhaps even as much as Link and Zelda as well. Kelli sniffled moments later, though her tears did not stop.

"Kel… I'm sorry," Link spoke up, his own eyes misting.

"Oh, Link…" Kelli uttered, and, startling them both in doing so, vaulting upright and throwing herself into his arms. "I just have to find Judo! I can't stand being away from him anymore!"

"It's alright. We'll find him," Link replied, returning Kelli's hug and stroking her back. "At the very least, we'll find out where he is so you can meet him."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, Link! I can't tell you how much this means to me…"

"Indeed. I bet seeing you again means a lot to Judo too. Frankly, I'd like to meet him as well."

"I'm sure he'd love to meet you. It's been seven long years since I've seen him, but we both promised we'd see each other again someday. I only regret not looking for him sooner. I returned from Mayia only a couple months ago."

"Oh? How come you didn't search then?"

"I'd been…busy. I was on my own, after all, and I needed ways to earn money to feed myself. I'd either work odd jobs here and there, like cleaning or cooking, or fight off bandits or thieves for the locals, since I was a freelancer rather than part of Hyrule's military. I know I could have gone back to Judo's house, but it wouldn't have felt right. I mean really, a grown woman like me relying on my best friend's mother for food and shelter?"

"Yeah, that would be awkward."

"Exactly. And as much as I wanted to visit, things only got more and more complicated. I eliminated so many bandits and thieves that the more powerful bandit leaders and thugs put a bounty on my head. More and more of them attempted to defeat me. Of course, none ever succeeded, but they were persistent and they always seemed to be able to find me. If I'd gone to Judo's house at that time, I'd be putting him and his mother in danger if the ruffians found me. I should've just come back here in the beginning… If I had, I probably would've found Judo before he left on his trip. And I bet the 'big day' he's talking about in this diary entry refers to that journey."

"Well, I'm sure he'd understand," Link assured with a smile. "Besides, maybe he was busy as well. I highly doubt _he's_ still relying on his mother."

"Yeah, true. I think the bandits have given up as well. I haven't seen them in over a week. But then again, they could just be waiting until I'm away from all the trouble going on here. Aside from us, not many would wade through these enhanced monsters without a death wish."

"That's probably true. I should leave now, by the way. It wouldn't help his majesty if I put off investigating Zora's Domain for too much longer."

"Oh, right. I'd almost forgotten about that. You get going then. I'll try to get this place closed back up after you leave. I doubt there's more clues in here and, if Judo and his mother do come back, I think they'll have enough problems without thinking someone broke in."

"Okey dokey."

With that, Link headed back downstairs and out through the front door of the house. As he made his exit, a curious realization struck him. The last time he'd been in the village, as a child, he could have sworn that that building in which Judo had lived was going to become a shop. What's more, it had actually _been_ a shop in the dark future. The potion shop in Hyrule Castle Town had relocated there after Ganondorf had seized the throne and destroyed the city. Link had suspected that some things in this new future would be different, but that still didn't explain why Judo's house had been a vacant potion shop at some point in Link's childhood. As he reached the stairway leading into the lower portion of the village, however, something caught his eye. A sign had been posted above the door on the building right across from Judo's house. During Link's childhood, or at least, the one he'd had just before the dark future, it had been home to a mother and her son who, for whatever reason, wanted to be like Dampe the gravekeeper. During the dark future, the bazaar from Hyrule Castle Town had relocated there. Now, it seemed the building had changed hands yet again, for the sign read that an emporium would soon be open for business there and would sell goods that Link found in Castle Town's bazaar and the potion shop. Link regarded the ever-changing building dubiously, as it seemed a rather small space for such an operation. And, when he was a child, weren't the carpenters developing the village planning on turning the building which had been Judo's home into a potion shop? This seemed rather peculiar, but Link knew that the situation in Zora's Domain was far more important.

Vira and Navi were waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Link quickly approached the pair, hoping that Navi had gotten a hold of herself.

"Hey, Navi! I hope you've calmed down, because we're leaving now," Link spoke up. "We've got work to do."

"Don't worry, I'm okay now. Let's get out of here," Navi replied.

"Good luck at Zora's Domain!" Vira offered encouragingly. "And don't come back in a grumpy mood this time, Nav."

"I know, I know…"

"Well, we'll be back as soon as we can," Link promised.

Vira nodded as the two headed for the stairs leading out of the village.

About halfway down, Link suddenly felt that something was wrong. For a moment, Link thought it might've just been the strain of the day but, when he reached the base of the stairs, he discovered that his instincts had not played him false. Epona and Sunfire had been waiting at the base of the staircase the last time Link had seen them but now, they were both gone. All that remained where they once stood were a few splotches of blood. Few they might have been, but Link had a very ominous premonition about where they might have come from.

"What the—? Where'd the horses go?" Link frantically wondered as his eyes darted in all directions. Unfortunately, he couldn't see nor hear either steed.

"I don't know, but try the song!" Navi suggested. "Maybe they just chased some monsters away."

"Yeah, let's hope so."

Link then hurriedly whipped out the Ocarina of Time. He had learned the song a long time before from Malon in the events that led up to the dark future. Whenever he'd played in during that dire time, Epona would seemingly burst out of nowhere to reach his side. Link knew from prior experience, in Termina and seemingly, everywhere else, that the song could still summon Epona. Perhaps, if Sunfire liked the melody or simply followed her fellow steed, the song would bring her back as well. Link's heart raced as he played the tune, only endless practice preventing the notes from wavering or his hands shaking, and then he waited. Before, when he played the song, Epona would appear so instantly that, at times, Link found himself wondering if there might be a bit of magic in her as well as there was in much else that he'd encountered. Now, after several minutes had passed, he realized with growing alarm that neither horse had appeared.

"Blast! Malon's going to kill me if she finds out about this…!" Link grumbled as he raced back up the stairs, trying to keep his fear for his beloved steed from whipping him into a panic. He considered setting out immediately to search for the horses, but then considered whether or not he should find Kelli first. She'd want to know if her horse could be in trouble. But, then again, would taking Kelli be wise? Her discovery at Judo's house had clearly upset her, and if her head wasn't on straight, she might overlook a vital clue or distract Link from the search. After a moment's deliberation, Link decided that he had no choice in the matter. Crossing Hyrule Field on foot at its widest point would take nearly a week. Between the sheer distance and the horses' speed, finding either of them while searching alone would be all but impossible. Two searchers wouldn't improve those odds by much, but it was Link's only option.

"KELLI! Where are you?" Link called, nearly tripping as he raced back into the village and towards Judo's house, assuming the female warrior was still there. Thankfully, Link soon spotted her descending the stairs that led to Death Mountain.

"Link!" Kelli called back as she headed towards him. "What are you doing back here? You're supposed to be—"

"I know, but we've got a big problem!"

"What now?"

"Our horses are gone! And there's blood in the grass where they were standing!"

"What?"

"I'm not kidding! Come see for yourself!"

Kelli offered no objection and quickly followed as Link led her to the base of the main staircase. She gasped when she laid eyes upon the blood staining the grass below. Droplets of still more blood formed a faint trail leading out onto Hyrule Field, over the small bridge spanning the river and then further into the vast expanse of grasslands. Link dapped experimentally at one of the blood drops and found that they were dry, which could only mean that whatever had happened occurred at least several hours ago. But stranger still, neither of the two warriors could make out any hoof prints. And, that meant...Link didn't know what it meant. He rather doubted the horses had bolted off on their own, for they would've returned when they heard the song. More likely, they had been taken but how did the culprits managed to conceal the horses' trail? And, for that matter, did they also leave that blood trail? Link had quite a few questions, though only one of them truly mattered. How were he and Kelli going to get their steeds back?

"This…This is terrible…" Kelli uttered with a sniffle. "I promised Zelda I'd take good care of Sunfire… If I don't get her back…"

"I feel your pain. I promised Malon I'd be good to Epona too," Link replied. "She'll be making saddles out of my hide if I don't find her. But standing around worrying won't bring the horses back. We have to go look for them."

"Not so fast, fairy boy," Kelli warned. "Take a look, and tell me what you see."

Puzzled, Link let his eyes roam over the landscape. He saw...well, not much, actually.

"Looks kinda quiet," he opined.

"Exactly. Hyrule Field hasn't been this quiet in months, and that bothers me. Also, there's no trace of where Epona and Sunfire went except that blood trail. Whoever took the horses was able to hide their hoof prints, but left a blood trail. Doesn't that strike you as a little odd?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah. But then again, we don't know whether or not that blood came from whoever took the horses. It might have been an oversight."

"Or bait. Whoever took Epona and Sunfire probably wants us to follow."

"And, that would leave the village defenseless."

"Wouldn't surprise me if there were monsters about, waiting for us to take the bait."

"Blast… You're right. But I don't see what else we can do. We won't get much further without our horses, especially if we have to cross Hyrule Field. Doing that on foot could take days, not to mentioning getting through all the monsters."

"I know. But, I _can_ stay right out here and keep watch in case I'm wrong and they do come back. I'd have to let Vira and his majesty know first, but even so. And I could keep trying to use Epona's Song."

"You know that melody?"

"Yeah, Malon taught it to me because Sunfire liked it too."

"Oh, you know Malon?"

"_Everybody_ knows Malon these days, but everyone knows me too."

"Gee, I feel so left out."

"Oh, muzzle it. Anyhow, up until the troubles here began, Malon was doing quite well for herself. She'd made quite a name, and a small fortune, as the foremost horse breeder and a saddle and tack maker."

Here, Kelli's expression turned coy.

"She'd quite the eligible bachelorette if you're interested," she suggested.

Although Link was relieved that Kelli seemed to be feeling better, he wasn't too fond of the direction this conversation was taking. And, it didn't help much when Navi cut in. 

"Oh, he's already taken," she blurted out. "Link is ever so head-over-heels for—"

Before Navi could reveal her suspicion, a blur of green engulfed her. Link, his hat in hand, held it tight against Navi's struggled from within.

"Okay, let's get back to business," he decided as he put his hat back on. "You stay here and guard the village. While you're doing that, I'll figure out what's happening with the waterfall in Zora's River. Once that's done, I'll start looking for the horses afterward. Finding Epona and Sunfire could take days and, by then, the waterfall may stop flowing."

"True that. You have to hurry, though! Who knows what kind of trouble our poor steeds might be in?"

"Don't worry, I plan on it. But wait here for a minute, I want to check something out."

"Alright, but hurry."

"Of course."

Link then quickly followed the blood trail, even though the darkening Hyrulean skies made it difficult. It led him across the bridge spanning the river and out towards the ransacked Lon Lon Ranch. When the hero approached the ranch, however, he noticed the blood continued on past. The trail meandered through the lands between Gerudo Valley and Lake Hylia, but eventually disappeared. Link growled in annoyance, as the trail couldn't tell him whether it had been leading to the valley, the lake, or even somewhere else completely. Whoever abducted Epona and Sunfire might have reconsidered their course and turned elsewhere, met up with others of their ilk, at which point the captive horses had changed hands, or this trail was simply meant to lead him and Kelli away so that Kakariko would be unguarded. And of course, _that_ was assuming that this trail was even that of the thieves. There were a lot of possibilities, though none of which would help him in the rescue. Now more concerned than ever, Link returned to Kelli as fast as his legs would carry him. His futile search had taken him much further away than he'd intended and it had also cost him the night hours. Both a lack of results and a lack of sleep left him in a decidedly unpleasant mood.

"That blood trail leads past the ranch, but then it disappears," he reported upon approaching Kelli once more. "I was hoping I could follow it further after I finished my errand at Zora's Domain, but… I'm sorry."

"Blast…" Kelli worriedly groused. "I'll report to his majesty at once. We can't waste anymore time, you have to head to Zora's Domain now!"

"Right."

With that, Link quickly raced towards Zora's River while Kelli hurried back up the stairs into Kakariko. Once Kelli was a good distance away, Link let Navi out of inside his hat. The fairy had been rather indignant but, to Link's dismay, she took this as yet another sign that her suspicions were correct. Trying vainly to ignore her, Link continued his journey. Luckily, the entrance to Zora's River was only a few hours away. Link decided that his first task would be reaching King Zora which, given the Zora King's rather sedentary nature, would likely not be difficult. Once there, he'd see about learning more about what was happening to the waterfall. Even if he didn't find Ruto in the process, Link promised himself he'd search for the horses after restoring the waterfall's flow. Kelli was worried and frustrated enough about Judo's disappearance; the last thing she needed was another loved one in danger. What's more, aside from neither Zelda nor Malon being pleased if something terrible happened to the horses, Link rather doubted he'd be able to accomplish his quest if he had to cross Hyrule Field on foot when it was swarming with enhanced monsters. Without Epona to help him outrun the enemy, any monsters lurking in the field would be able to surround Link and tear him to pieces. As he arrived in Zora's River, Link was still trying to shake off whatever frightening thoughts entered his mind regarding the fate of his loyal steed.

"Please be alright, Epona… Sunfire…" he uttered as he traversed the path up the river.

It didn't take Link long to see that the situation was as serious as King Daphnes made it out to be, and worse. Zora's River usually ran deep and swift and, during his prior visits as a child, could've swept him away like a twig if he fell in. Now, the water didn't even reach his waist and its once mighty flow had slowed nearly to a halt. After a long moment of looking at the river's state in shocked silence, Link broke into a run.

After jumping across cliffs, dashing through ominously shallow water, and climbing sloped pathways, Link found himself standing before the waterfall itself and the entrance to Zora's Domain. And, just when he thought the situation here couldn't get any worse, it did just that. The fierce torrent that had shielded Zora's Domain from all but those acting upon the authority of the Royal Family had been reduced to a feeble trickle and the entrance to Zora's Domain was wide open. And then, as if via some malicious finishing touch by fate, just as Link was about to jump across the gap and enter, however, the water stopped completely.

"…Oh no," was all Link could utter, his eyes widening with fear. "King Zora is not going to like this…"

Though he was loathe to frighten the Zora king any more than he probably already was, Link knew he could not keep such an emergency from him. The enemy had already penetrated Kakariko Village at least several times, and would surely lose no time doing the same here. He immediately raced inside and hurried to King Zora's throne room as quickly as his legs could carry him. Several wary Zoras took notice of his arrival, some friendly and other simply relieved that he wasn't an enemy, but Link raced right past them. He rushed up the stairs above the Zora shop and burst into the throne room. As Link had expected, King Zora sat upon his throne staring somberly at the still water below him. In fact, as Link's gaze roamed the chamber, he could swear that the water was slightly shallower than he remembered it. Knowing this to be a bad sign, Link quickly rushed to the raised platform before King Zora.

"Your majesty, I'm here! I apologize if I've delayed too long," Link spoke up, somewhat breathless from his frantic trek.

"Oh, you must be Link, then! I'm so relieved you arrived safely!" King Zora replied, perking his head in surprise at Link's appearance. "…You look troubled, if you'll pardon my saying so."

"Well, to tell you the truth…" Link began, looking away.

"The waterfall has stopped flowing completely, hasn't it?"

Link's eyes widened in disbelief.

"…H-How did you—?"

"…We could feel it," King Zora explained. "The waterfall is connected to our domain by the fountain where Lord Jabu-Jabu dwells. If it stops flowing, the water stops flowing in here as well."

"Oh… I'm so sorry. I should have come sooner."

"Please, don't worry about that. I know there are other troubles in Hyrule that you and Kelli must attend to. Too many to count, I've heard tell. With all of the evil that's arisen in our afflicted land, I'm surprised that you've come at all."

"I'll do better than that, your majesty. I'll start investigating the waterfall immediately, but first, can you tell me how all of this began? When did the waterfall's flow begin failing? When did Princess Ruto first disappear?"

"Ah, well, the trouble began not long after my dear sweet Ruto departed for the Water Temple several days ago. A contingent of Zora guards had accompanied her under my orders. While they were away, another of my guards reported that the waterfall was thinning."

"I see. None of them could find the cause of this?"

"Unfortunately, no. However, while the guard was giving his report to me, we heard a terrible sound. It was loud and screechy, though it almost sounded like a roar, and it echoed to us from outside. A guard went to investigate, but he saw nothing. However, just before he was about to come back inside, he heard it again. He told us that it sounded like it was coming from the sky."

"That's unusual…"

"Indeed. I can't imagine at all what it could've been, but whatever it was, even its echoes paralyzed us with fear. Several hours later, one of the Zora guards from the contingent accompanying my daughter returned. He returned with grievous wounds and had to be rushed to our healers immediately. Once he was well enough to talk, he reported that he and the other two guards had met with disaster. Some fell magic caused the guards to black out and when they awoke, Ruto was gone, vanished. Before they could begin looking for her, however, a small group of monsters attacked them. We may not look like it, but some of our tribe are quite competent in the arts of battle, though we Zoras generally dislike fighting."

"I know. I discovered that when I met your tribe's cousins in Termina."

"That is a tale I wish I had time to hear. To continue, the Zora guards managed to win the battle, but they were lucky to come away with their lives."

"Whoa… What happened to the other two…?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know how they fare. The guard that returned here reported that they stayed behind to search for Ruto. But I fear the worst may have befallen them."

"Oh…"

"But that's not all," King Zora continued. "Link, if the waterfall is not restored, this entire domain, along with the fountain and the river, will eventually dry up. And neither my people nor any other in Hyrule can survive long without water! What's more, now that the entrance is no longer concealed, those monsters are free to enter and we are all but defenseless! I'm begging you to help us by any means necessary as quickly as possible!"

For a stretching second, Link eyed the Zora king with growing, albeit concealed, concern. King Zora looked, as he himself would probably say, rather green around the gills. His breathing was labored, his eyes were weary and careworn, his hands, or at least, his manipulative extremities, trembled and most shocking of all, he'd lost weight. Though Link had no idea how old King Zora was, nor did he have any idea how to ascertain a Zora's health, but he could clearly see that his situation was hardly different from what Daphnes was going through. Between his daughter's disappearance and the growing crisis of the waterfall's decline, King Zora's health was surely suffering. Link was suddenly reminded of the sickly, despondent Hylian King and how he fearfully wondered if the monarch would live to see Hyrule restored. Angrily, he clenched his fists, knowing that this simply could not stand.

"Don't worry, I'll have this situation figured out. I'll do whatever it takes!" he proclaimed.

"Oh, thank you so much! You should start by investigating the fountain. All of the water comes from there. I suspect it's where you'll find the answer."

"Then that's what I'll do. Where do you suspect Ruto may be though?"

"Well, I can only speculate at this point. I do have a thought though. You may not know this, but we Zora did not always live in this domain. Long ago, we once lived in the depths of Lake Hylia. But during a fierce war many years ago, the Gerudo attacked us and our home was destroyed. So, we moved here. Our former home has been in ruins for ages, but we can still find it easily enough and I have little doubt Ruto would try to hide there. Sadly, that course of action seems to have been the least wise. The Zora guard told us that he suspect it's where the monsters came from. More curious still, a frigid wind has been blowing from inside for the past few weeks. I fear it's become a very dangerous place. In fact, we've begun calling it the Fortress of Ice."

"I see. I'll go check it out when I'm done here."

"Alas, that may prove impossible. The guard also told me that as he was leaving, a thick fog enveloped the entire lake and has not dispersed. We have confirmed that the fog is still there and, from what the guard told us, it was impossible for him to see anything past the fences at the entrance. If you go any further than that, you may as well be blind."

"Blast… What am I supposed to do then?"

"Well, there is a tale that I've heard. I usually don't put much stock in such things but, in all candor, we are desperate. These tales told of a sacred jewel possessing the power to control the wind. Supposedly, it is hidden somewhere near here, but I know not if this is true."

_The Jewel of Wind_, Link realized.

"Actually, that might be just what we need!" Link exclaimed, noting King Zora's puzzlement. "The jewel you're talking about is part of a set, and I've already found two of them. If they're real, this one has to be as well. And a gust of wind would be more than enough to blow the fog away. I'll look for the jewel and if I don't find it, I'll find some other way to explore the lake and rescue Ruto."

"Alright. I wish you good luck. And more than that, good speed."

Link merely responded with a nod, conscious that the Zoras, and perhaps, all of Hyrule, were living on borrowed time now that the water had stopped flowing. Thankfully, King Zora seemed to appreciate this fact as well and, rather than spend five minutes scooting over to allow access to the passage leading to Zora's Fountain, he had already moved aside. Perhaps the Zora king had tried let in as much water as possible or maybe he had anticipated Link's arrival and decided to give him a head start, but he couldn't be certain. Either way, Link quickly raced up the ramp rising on either side of the Zora king's throne and ran through the small tributary that once flowed into the chamber. The water within had always been shallow, but now bare rock rose above the pitiable flow. Link continued forward, already worried about the state of the fountain, and his fears were swiftly confirmed. The fountain had once been an immense basin of water, even deeper than Lake Hylia, but now it looked to be half empty. Link's gaze quickly found Lord Jabu-Jabu, the immense leviathan who was the Zora tribe's guardian god, forlornly beached upon an expansive outcropping of bare rock. The beached leviathan was calling out, bellowing in helpless agony and, despite his less-than-pleasant memories of the Zora tribe's guardian god, Link could feel his eyes misting at the poor creature's misery. Link had never discovered Jabu-Jabu's fate in the dark future, though he'd suspected that Jabu-Jabu had either been killed by Ganondorf or had found some means to migrate away from the desecrated kingdom. The Zoras' guardian god was still alive at least, but for how long? Out of the water, he surely would not survive long.

"I know we ought to help him, but goddesses forbid I ever have to go inside that fish again…" Link mumbled under his breath. He recalled how, as a child in the events leading up to the dark future, he'd been collecting the three Spiritual Stones. These three enchanted jewels were the keys to opening the Door of Time in the Temple of Time and retrieving the Master Sword. Retrieving the Spiritual Stone of Water, also known as Zora's Sapphire, had meant slogging through Jabu-Jabu's stomach to find both it and Ruto, both of which had been swallowed by Jabu-Jabu. That particularly unpleasant trek had involved fish guts, parasitic tentacles and, worst of the worst, Ruto. Running a close second to the Zora Princess had been the boss, which had been something Link could not even identify. Whatever it was, it had had a slimy, multi-armed body that discharged electrical energy with killing power. Link _might_ be willing to go in there again, if he had to in order to keep Jabu-Jabu from dying, but he desperately hoped for an alternative.

"'Help him?'" Navi repeated in stupefaction. "Are you nuts? I mean, it's a sad picture but, unless you want to leave me here with the ocarina to play the Song of Storms for the next four months, which, by the way, is _so_ not happening, I don't see what we can do."

"Well," Link said with a shrug, "I'm just firing blind here, but, I can see that there's still a good bit of water in the lower part of the basin. If we can push Jabu-Jabu off of this outcropping, then he'll land in that water and be okay."

"Great. So, where is the small army of Link clones equipped with Golden Gauntlets that's going to make this happen?"

"You're not helping. Still, I have a thought. You remember how the Elemental Jewels can summon their respective elements? Well, call me crazy, but maybe the Jewel of Wind could create enough wind to push Jabu-Jabu off of the outcropping and into the water."

There was a very long, very awkward pause during which Navi stared at Link as if he'd lost his mind.

"Yup, you're crazy."

Link was about to retort when Navi darted towards the edge of the cliff and began frantically bobbing up and down.

"Hey, check out the water back here!"

"Holy…"

When Link's eyes followed Navi's gesture, they nearly popped out of his head. Upon the bottom of the lake, at the opposite end of the fountain, were several boulders stacked on top of each other.

"Well, there's our answer," Link finally uttered moments later, though his tone was skeptical. "But how did the Zoras miss this?"

"Well, they were probably afraid to go outside after hearing that monstrous roar. Or, maybe they just couldn't stand seeing their guardian god like this. Or both."

"That makes sense. Still, how are we going to get rid of those boulders? Even if I still had the Golden Gauntlets and my Zora Tunic, I doubt I could move them while they're underwater. And, using bombs is out of the question."

"Good question…" Navi conceded, trailing off in contemplation until a realization hit her. "Wait! Link, remember what you did with that one bomb in the Magma Cavern during the fight against the Flare Dancers?"

"Huh? Oh! I shot an unlit bomb with an arrow to set it off!" Link recalled. "Of course!"

With that, he immediately produced another bomb. Carefully, he knotted the fuse so that it would be shortened and would prevent the water from getting in and soaking the explosive powder inside. Then, he dropped it into the water without lighting it. After it sank and came to rest atop of the boulders, Link whipped out his bow, charged an arrow, and released. The arrow tore into the water, the magic of the bow allowing it to cut through the water without losing speed, and struck the bomb. The arrow grazing the rocks and the bomb's casing produced a hail of brief sparks, one of which ignited the explosive in the fraction of a second before the water could snuff it out. There was a distant flash of light, a muffled explosion and the boulders were shattered to pieces. Link had been expected torrents of liberated water to come pouring out into the drained fountain. Unfortunately, the water level did not change.

"What? Alright, something funny is going on here!" Link opined in annoyance.

"Wait, look! There's a cave entrance down there!" Navi pointed out.

"…Huh, so there is," Link replied, noticing the opening in the wall under the water. "As I always say, time to check it out."

With that, Link navigated as close to the tunnel as he could via the land and, when he traveled as far as he could, dove into the water. Since he had neither the Zora Tunic nor the Golden Scale, the latter which allowed him to hold his breath longer than normal, he knew he would only have so much time to get down, get in, and find a place to come up for air...if there was one. Thankfully, the cave entrance hadn't been too far down and luckier still, he was able to surface again moments later. What he saw, however, didn't surprise him in the slightest. It was a small grotto, its walls damp and water dripping from above in a light, but endless rain. Straight ahead, at the top of a small rocky staircase, was a large, rough hewn stone door. Stalactites and stalagmites thrust from the ceiling and floor like jaws, ready to bite any interloping heroes in half.

_Well, interloping is what I do best_, Link mused.

"An undead forest, a cavern full of magma, and now this. Swell," Link commented and shivered a little. "It's chilly in here too."

"Yeah, but I don't think this is the only place connected to the Zoras' problems," Navi replied. "I do sense evil in here, but a lot less than in the Magma Cavern or Death Forest. If it were otherwise, I'd think other people besides us would know about it."

"Agreed. But, I do think that this is the place where we'll find the Jewel of Wind and whatever's causing the water levels to drop."

"I second that. But perhaps the Jewel of Wind is connected to the cause?"

"You know, you could be right. I hadn't thought of that before, and we already found curses on two of the jewels. It wouldn't surprise me if the rest were as well."

"Still want to use the Jewel to help Jabu-Jabu?" Navi inquired, snickering. "I can't picture it doing him any good, and even Ruto's crush might not help you if the jewel's curse hurts him."

"You are never going to let me live that down, are you?"

Rather than answer directly, Navi began buzzing around the grotto singing a goddess-awful song that might've been an imitation of a sea chantey; a terrible sea chantey.

"Oh, blow the fish down, bullies blow the fish down! Way, hey, blow the fish down! Oh, blow the fish down, bullies blow the fish down! Give me some time to blow the fish down!"

"Remind me, is it river salmon or frogs that are known to try and eat fairies on occasion?"

"You wouldn't dare."

A few more good natured barbs passed between the two and, within a few minutes, both were laughing too hard to taunt the other any further. That had proven a refreshing distraction from their rather dire situation and, in many ways, made Link glad that the Great Deku Tree had sent Navi to him, and gladder still that he'd found her again.

"Well, let's go, we're wasting enough time already."

"Yeah, better hurry before Malon finds Epona first…"

"AAAH!" Link exclaimed, shuddering and bolting through the door instantly. He had, of course, not forgotten that his beloved steed was missing but, despite it being rather doubtful that Malon would discover Epona before he could, Link could not suppress a shudder at the idea. Malon was a strong willed young woman and, though Link was an excellent warrior, an angry woman was somehow more terrifying to him than Ganondorf. Then again, there was also the question of how Ruto would react when Link had to explain to her where he'd been for seven years. He had been too young, and much too stupid, to know what she'd made of him accepting the Zora's Sapphire. After all, having grown up amongst the never-aging Kokiri, engagement and marriage weren't exactly things Link had been exposed to before. Not that Ruto was likely to understand, of course. It seemed as though, no matter what happened, Link would have a woman biting his head off.

"Navi, don't ever scare me like that!" Link blurted after the door closed. "Just pray that Epona's where Malon _won't_ find her! And besides, I've got a feeling that Sunfire is with Epona. If Malon found both of them, maybe she'll decide it's not completely my fault."

"Oh yeah, she'd be mad at Kelli too. Hehe."

Link shot Navi a glare before responding.

"Not what I meant."

"Hmph."

"Hey, I know you don't like her, we'll be working together with her for a long time. And we're going to have to work together if we want to win this thing."

"Link, look…"

"I mean it, Navi! Don't you remember—"

"No, I mean look ahead, you idiot!"

"Huh? WHOA!"

As Link turned, he beheld a streak of blue flying straight at him. Even as he dove out of the way, he knew already that it was an Ice Keese...and that, where there was one, there were many. He whipped out his bow, aiming carefully when he brought an arrow to the bowstring. After successfully striking the dangerous bat down, Link sighed with relief.

"That was too close…" he uttered. "One hit from those things and that would mean big trouble."

Ice Keese were deadlier than their normal and flaming brethren, as their frigid auras were capable of freezing their targets in solid ice. Link didn't have a chance to see if the Ice Keese might have been enhanced, but he wasn't too keen on finding out what new tricks these creatures might have learned.

"Yeah, but don't forget those other two fluttering about," Navi pointed out. "Best to get out. You see that pool of water? I can see the next door on the other side, and I think now's a good time to go through."

"Aw man…" Link groaned when he noticed the other two Ice Keese flying about the room, wheeling in the air to bear down on him. Still, as Navi had hinted, the next door was open, though it was on the other side of a pool of water. Link jumped in and swam across as fast as he could, nervously eyeing the Ice Keese. They were getting close but thankfully, Link had had a head start. He clambered out of the water and bolted through the door before either Keese could could touch him.

Unfortunately, as was often the case, Link's relief was short lived. The new chamber he had entered was a circular room which seemed to be some sort of nexus for this dungeon. In addition to the one he came through, there were seven more doors awaiting him. The door directly across from him was more ornate than the others, as the frame was ornamented with radiant silver. However, it also had bars sealing it shut. The other six doors looked the same as the one Link had come through, and interestingly, above each one was an unlit brazier. All seven doors, however, bore a curious symbol. It depicted what looked like two gusts of wind, each moving in the opposite direction of the other. Link merely froze where he stood for several moments, as there was only one explanation he could think of for this.

"Navi, I've a feeling we've got a fight ahead of us," he spoke up. "I'm assuming those braziers will ignite whenever we clear the rooms behind those doors. And I bet anything that we'll find the Jewel of Wind behind that ornantel door afterwards."

"And the answer to the problem with the waterfall," Navi added.

"That too. Let's get started."

With that, Link chose to proceed through the door on his right. What he discovered inside, however, made him shake his head in disbelief. Sitting on an immense chair carved from stone on the other side of the room, clad in white armor from head to toe and carrying a massive double-bladed axe, was none other than a familiar foe he remembered meeting in the Spirit Temple during the dark future.

"…You have got to be kidding me," Link blurted, staring at the creature in shock. "An Iron Knuckle?"


	12. Two Birds with One Stone

Chapter 12: Two Birds With One Stone

Link was not alone in his shock at seeing the Iron Knuckle. When Navi laid eyes on the armored giant, she nearly fell out of the air.

"What the—!" she blurted, stupefied. "I thought we'd seen the last of these things since Ganondorf's influence among the Gerudo was broken."

"I guess not," Link grimly replied. "I thought that the Iron Knuckles we met here might've been enslaved Gerudo or just empty armor animated by Koume and Kotake's magic. But I fought Iron Knuckles in Termina as well, and they weren't Gerudo. From here or there."

Link gulped audibly, and for a good reason. He had confronted Iron Knuckles before in the dark future and, even though he was a seasoned warrior by then, they had proven to be formidable adversaries, the most powerful of which had been the Spirit Sage, Nabooru, who had been turned into an Iron Knuckle by Ganondorf's surrogate mothers, the witches Koume and Kotake. Iron Knuckles were slow and cumbersome, but their massive axes could send Link flying across the room…or cut him clean in half. Link gulped once more as he drew his sword and slowly approached the Iron Knuckle, which seemed to taunt him with its unnatural stillness.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you're scared!" Navi opined, though she sounded nervous herself.

"Hey, even heroes have fears!" Link retorted, his tone suggesting that Iron Knuckles ranked high amongst his own fears.

"Well, you sure were able to handle these metal heads in the dark future."

"That's because I wasn't afraid of them until I faced one in Termina! And I was still a kid then!"

"Um, Link…" Navi uttered as a large shadow rose over the two.

"I'm serious! It came just inches away from cleaving me in half!"

"LINK!" Navi shouted as the Iron Knuckle, which was no longer tauntingly still, loomed over the distracted hero and raised its axe.

"YIKES!" Link yelped when he turned around and saw the huge blades descending towards his head. He quickly rolled out of the way to avoid being decapitated, and succeeded by a close margin. Link sprang to his feet and brought his sword and shield to the ready. As he did so, Link watched as the Iron Knuckle tore its axe free from the floor where the errant blow had landed. Then, with an eerily impassive air, it slowly turned and approached him again. Link felt his palms begin to sweat. Normally, these creatures were passive, only rising to life when struck. However, Link now could see that this new incarnation could sense intruders on its own and react with startling speed. The gap between the two began to narrow once more and still, the green-clad hero could barely move. As courageous and brave as Link naturally was, Iron Knuckles were the one thing he did fear. It had been a long time since he'd last battled one of these creatures, during his adventures in Termina years ago, and Link had no idea how to defeat this one.

Although Link, being far lighter and more agile than the hulking Iron Knuckle, was able to avoid his foe's attacks fairly easily, sweat began to break out along his temples. And, his whole face turned slick when the Iron Knuckle, embedding its axe in the floor and seeming to give Link an opening to strike, wrenched it free in an instant and whirled to strike in the same breath. The shadowy helm made it impossible for Link to see if the Iron Knuckle's eyes glowed, or if the Iron Knuckle even _had_ eyes, but he already suspected that this Iron Knuckle was enhanced. And, that realization made his stomach drop.

_What am I going to do? _Link thought to himself as his body trembled. _I was frightened enough by a normal Iron Knuckle… How am I going to beat a stronger one?_ Link grimaced as the Iron Knuckle's axe struck his shield and the force of the blow bore him to the floor. As the hero's strength waned before the relentless onslaught, the notion flew through Link's mind that his time had come.

"Come on, Link! Fight back! What would Hyrule think if they heard that their greatest hero got himself killed just because he panicked in a fight?" Navi shouted from nearby.

Link opened his eyes upon hearing the fairy's words, and dawning comprehension struck him ever harder than the Iron Knuckle had. _I'd be letting everyone down… Kelli, his majesty King Daphnes, the Sages…and Zelda. No way! I can't let that happen! I have to conquer this fear, for everyone's sake! For Zelda!_

"You're right, Navi! It's time I stopped acting like a coward! There are people counting on me!" Link proclaimed. He braced himself and pushed against his foe as hard as he could. The Iron Knuckle's axe, which had been inching ever closer to Link, began to slow and then to halt, but the Iron Knuckle was far too strong for Link to overpower. Thinking quickly, Link angled his blade and thrust at the creature's armor, sending fragments clattering to the ground and causing the Iron Knuckle to recoil. This allowed Link to slip out of his foe's grasp, but he still knew, however, that if the axe were to hit him at all, he'd be dead. Link was still confident that he could outmaneuver his foe, but attacking the Iron Knuckle proved to be no less difficult than escaping its deadly grip. The Iron Knuckle's axe was longer than Link was tall and the long haft seemed to be harder than a Goron's hide. Many a time, Link's strikes were deflected by the axe and Link found himself scrambling to avoid a counterstrike.

"Dang… Oh, wait! Why didn't I think of this before?" Link realized suddenly.

With that, he maneuvered towards the Iron Knuckled again. But this time, he did not strike. Instead, he allowed the Iron Knuckle to draw back its axe for an overhead chop…which was exactly what Link wanted. The moment the axe was drawn up and away, the green-clad hero darted to the inside and thrust his shield forward, knocking the Iron Knuckle off balance. In that same instant, Link followed up with several more slashes at the creature's torso, sending more fragments of armor clattering to the floor. It was then that Link realized why he hadn't thought of using any of the techniques Kelli taught him. Between seeing one of the dreaded Iron Knuckles after so long and being caught off guard by this one seizing the initiative from him, he had been too frightened to do much thinking at all. Now, however, the hero had regained both his focus and confidence. Although Link still wasn't certain if this Iron Knuckle might be enhanced, he considered trying to defeat it with a Sun Arrow. Then again, would that really be wise? There was a chance it would fail, after all, if the Iron Knuckle was a Sun creature. And, Link wouldn't be able to use his shield while taking the shot. _No, it's too risky,_ Link decided. _Besides that, if I'm going to be strong enough to defeat the toughest enemies Kelli and I will face, I have to prove that I can beat one of these things strength-for-strength._

With that, Link continued clashing with the Iron Knuckle. This creature could take a lot of punishment before being defeated, but Link continued to weave in and out of range of the Iron Knuckle and strike it with the shield attack. Gradually, the creature began to weaken and one of Link's stabs sent the Iron Knuckle sprawling to the floor. Not wanting to give his foe a chance to recover, Link leapt into the air with his blade angled downward for the kill. The ending blow technique, another of Kelli's tricks, served him well and his blade sank deep into the Iron Knuckle's chest…assuming there was one under the armor.

"Thank the goddesses that's over," Link opined after back flipping off of the corpse.

"Hey, don't forget you might face more of these guys later on," Navi pointed out.

"Aw man…" Link groaned. "Why do you have to be right so often?"

"Because my job was originally to guide you, remember? Why else would the Great Deku Tree have sent me to you?"

"Oh yeah… Hey, I was right! The brazier above the door ignited."

"Then let's go clear the other rooms as quickly as possible. The Zoras are living on borrowed time."

Link nodded and raced to the central chamber. There were five more rooms to conquer, and Link didn't doubt for a minute that they'd be dangerous, but he knew it had to be done if he was to find the Jewel of Wind. Link headed through another one of the doors, but before he could take little more than a few steps inside, the door slammed shut behind him and bars shot downward to seal him in. Link then spied the bones scattered upon the floor and, sure enough, a Stalfos rose from the scattered remains, blue fire blazing in its empty eye sockets. The hero had not forgotten his last encounter with one of these creatures, and knew that this fight would be no easier than the one with the Iron Knuckle. However, Link did have an advantage. He now knew what the enhanced Stalfos were capable of since he'd fought one once before. And, even better, this Stalfos didn't have a pair of enhanced Stalchildren to help him. This time, Link was prepared, and drew his blade.

As Link battled the Stalfos, remaining wary of any attempt by his foe to swing around to his back, he began to think that if each room housed only one enemy, perhaps solving this puzzle wouldn't be as hard as he had originally thought. Unfortunately, the hero discovered the opposite when he finally entered the third room sometime later. Instead of a single opponent, there were two Lizalfos standing before him, and then a pair of Dinolfos awaited him in the fourth room. This small dungeon, it seemed, was getting more dangerous than Link had foreseen, so he proceeded cautiously. However, he soon discerned a pattern to these chambers. In the first two rooms, he had faced a single enemy while the third and fourth held two enemies each. The first two each had a single enemy while the third and fourth rooms both had two enemies. This left Link with only one possible, but unsettling notion as to what awaited him in the fifth and sixth rooms. Soon enough, and to his displeasure, this surmise was swiftly confirmed.

Within each chamber was a trio of enemies. The fifth served as lair to three Armosaurs while the final chamber held a trio of the ever-cunning Lizalfos Knights, which Link had to acknowledge as the strongest of the more common opponents he'd ever faced so far aside from the Iron Knuckle. As he engaged the Lizalfos Knights, Link found himself wondering why the Iron Knuckle had been first. Perhaps it was meant to be a warning that greater challenges still lay ahead? This was likely and hardly surprising. After all, Link still had no idea what creature the Zoras had heard earlier…or what creature had destroyed the bridge in the Lost Woods…or what creature had dropped off the Dinolfos whom had captured Daphnes. Could those creatures be one and the same, or at least, one of the same species? Whatever the case, Link couldn't help but have the feeling that he'd encounter that creature sooner or later…and it would prove to be _very_ deadly.

By the time the Lizalfos Knights had been vanquished and the final brazier had ignited, Link was exhausted. The green-clad hero, barely able to stand, was panting with cuts and scrapes all over his face, arms, and legs while sweat trickled down the sides of his head. Luckily, he remembered that a fairy fountain was located somewhere along Zora's River, and decided it was best that he go there before heading to Lake Hylia. Hopefully, the fountain had not been affected by the waterfall running dry.

"Come on, Link! The more time we waste in here, the less time we have to save the Zoras!" Navi coaxed moments later.

"Alright, alright, fine…"

With that, Link sheathed his sword, slung his shield across his back, and returned to the central chamber. Just as he had suspected, the ignition of all the braziers caused the bars on the ornate door to rise, allowing the hero access to the room beyond it. Hoping he'd find what he sought within, Link hurried through the door.

Beyond the threshold was a small altar, above which hovered a small dark cloud. As Link approached it, a light pulsed from within the darkness and the cloud evaporated. Revealed beneath was a glowing pink jewel that took the same shape as the symbol on the doors. It was the Jewel of Wind, cleansed of its curse.

"Ah! Three down, six to go!" Link chimed as he snatched the jewel from its resting place.

Link had been wondering who might be conjured by his acquisition of this jewel. After all, there were nine jewels but only seven sages. His question was answered when a sphere of luminous energy burst out of the jewel and took on the form of a fairy. This fairy, however, was unlike any Link had ever seen. She was not one of the Great Fairies, as she did not giggle like a lunatic or appear unclothed, but she was definitely not one of the tiny healing or guardian fairies either. She had to be the same size as Link when he had been a child. Protruding from her back were large, pink wings whose fringes swirled at the tips, much like her braided hair of the same color. She was clothed in a long gown which, unsurprisingly, was also pink and looked as soft and silken as her wings.

"Oh, great hero," the fairy greeted. "I thank you for freeing me from my prison within that cloud of darkness. I am known as the Fairy of Winds."

"The Fairy of Winds? I've heard that name before," Navi replied. "My sister told me that there were legends about you, but no one had ever seen you."

"Yes, that is true. I had been living in secrecy for many years," the Fairy of Winds continued. "You see, long ago, there were other fairies like myself that possessed powers much like those of the jewels you seek. We had been born from the very essence of the jewels themselves, and it was our duty to aid the Sky Guardians in protecting them. When the time of the last generation of Sky Guardians had passed on, we fairies patiently awaited the next chosen heroes who would take up the sacred blades of the sun and the moon. Unfortunately, they never appeared. As you may know, the gods and the ancient sages feared that the Sky Guardians were extinguished forever, and had chosen to forge one blade of evil's bane to be taken up by a hero at a time of greatest need."

"That sounds a lot like what Kelli told us," Link replied. "That blade was the Master Sword, I take it?"

"That is correct. I had been secretly watching over both you and Kelli since the very day each of you was born," the Fairy of Winds revealed. "I had foreseen that you two would take up the legacy of the Sky Guardians and I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival for quite some time. Well, as your kind measures time, at least. When the Master Sword was forged, the other fairies and I still continued to guard the Elemental Jewels as was our sacred charge. There was much excitement among our kind when we determined that new Sky Guardians would soon come into being. Sadly, this anticipation blinded us to danger. The evil beings that now threaten this land had begun to grow deadlier over time, and before any of us suspected it, the creatures attacked again. With the Sky Guardians gone, there was little we could do to protect ourselves. Our strength was greatly outmatched. Eventually, only I remained. My powers over the wind can allow me to fly much faster than the other fairies, and so I escaped. I then went into hiding, to await the return of the Sky Guardians, and have been doing so for the past century. Until this moment."

"Wow, fairies _do_ live an awfully long time," Link commented. "But please continue."

"Of course. As I have said, my brethren and I could sense that new Sky Guardians would soon arise. When you and Kelli had been born, I could sense that the two of you were fated to herald the return of the Sky Guardians from their long slumber on the edge of dreams and legend. However, no more than a few days ago, my powers had begun to wane and fail. I knew something must have befallen the Jewel of Wind. If any of the jewels were ever in danger, the powers my fallen sisters and I possess would begin to fade. When I investigated the jewel's resting place, I was entrapped in the darkness that surrounded it, which you have just dispelled."

"Wow, I see. I'm glad I could help you out."

"And I thank you once more. Young hero, take the jewel with you, and guard it in my stead. I must return to hiding and await the day I may help a future hero. May the winds of fortune always blow with you."

With that, the Fairy of Winds vanished into thin air. Before Link could exit the chamber, however, the Jewel of Wind glowed once more. Seconds later, a booming noise echoed from another chamber followed by a cacophony of dull roaring punctuated by thunder.

"What the—?" Link blurted as the ground shook slightly, though he looked far from distressed. "Was that what I think it was?"

"It's got to be!" Navi replied as the two hurried back to the entrance of the small dungeon, diving into the water and swimming back towards the fountain beyond. As soon as Link dove in, however, he became all too aware that the once stagnant water was now flowing with tremendous strength, enough so that the current was literally carrying him along. After a few near misses and some rather painful collisions with the cavern walls, Link was literally hurled out of the current and into the air as if he had been expelled through Jabu-Jabu's blowhole. Link's skyward ascent was followed by an earthward plunge into the water of the fountain, the impact nearly knocking Link senseless. The green-clad hero soon recovered his wits and swam back to Jabu-Jabu's altar, groaning in pain from bouncing around in the cavern and his hard landing in the water.

"If Hylians were meant to fly—" Navi began teasingly, before Link cut her off.

"Oh, shut up," he groused. "I need a vacation."

As the pain subsided, Link turned his gaze back to the fountain. Just as he had guessed, the water was now flowing freely into the immense basin. The once half-empty lake was now rising fast, raising the beached Jabu-Jabu from his miserable perch and then overflowing to restore the waterfall at the entrance of Zora's Domain.

"We did it!" Navi cheered.

"It was all worth it," Link heartily agreed, his ribs aching from his enthusiasm. "I think."

Jabu-Jabu, apparently happy as well, opened his immense mouth and let out what sounding like a strange roar…along with a blast of air laced with the eye watering stench of thousands upon thousands of dead fish, leaving Link turning as green as his tunic.

"Ah, he's saying 'thank you,'" Navi chimed irritatingly.

"You want to thank me, do something about your breath," Link replied to the leviathan. "Well, now that the fountain is back to normal it's time to rescue Ruto and the horses!"

"Yeah!" Navi agreed.

"Oh, I nearly forgot! I should tell Kelli we found another jewel first!"

"I suppose…"

Ignoring Navi's less-than-pleased tone, Link whipped out the Ocarina of Time and played the notes of Kelli's telepathic melody. Within moments, her voice filled the air. However, it also sounded desperate.

"Oh, Link!" she cried, her tone quavering with anxiety.

"Kel, I found the Jewel of Wind while I was over here!" Link reported. "There was a curse on it which caused the waterfall at Zora's Domain to stop flowing. The curse has been broken, so the Zoras should be fine now. I also met the Fairy of Winds."

"The…Fairy of Winds? She's alive?"

"Yeah. She said she's the only one left of her kind, though. She was imprisoned within the dark cloud that was enveloping the jewel."

"Oh, I see. I learned of her and the other elemental fairies on my quest in Mayia, after I learned I was a Sky Guardian. I was researching the jewels and how the fairies guarded them, but I never would've guessed that one of them survived."

"I'll bet. She explained a lot to me, so I understand our situation a little better now."

"That's great! Oh, but Link, I'm so glad you played my song!" Kelli continued, her voice growing fearful. "I finally have some news for you."

"Really? What did you find?"

"Not long after you left, I was about to return to Kakariko when I spotted something we hadn't noticed before. It was a small piece of parchment that had been nailed to the back of the sign at the base of the stairs. It looked like an ultimatum!"

"Are you serious? What did it say?"

"It said that if we want to see our horses again, we have to go to Lake Hylia! Oh, Link, I'm so worried now! I can't leave Kakariko unguarded. Can you handle this by yourself?"

"Lake Hylia? No way! This is excellent!"

"What? What do you mean 'excellent,' you buffoon? Those monsters might kill our horses if you don't get your butt over there!"

"Hey, I realize that! Just listen! I was heading to Lake Hylia anyway because that's where Ruto was last seen. I'm betting I'll find her and the next jewel over there as well in the Zora tribe's former home. I'll find the horses when I get there, I promise."

"Oh, I see now! Thank you so much, Link. I wish you good luck! Don't worry about Sunfire once you rescue her, though. If I play Epona's Song, she'll come right back to me."

"Gotcha."

"Ah, one more thing. Come back here real quick before you head to Lake Hylia. I think I should teach you another one of my sword techniques just to be on the safe side."

"Good idea. I'll be there soon."

With that, the pair's telepathic connection fell silent.

"Geez, that girl really needs to chill out," Navi grumbled.

"Nav, not now. Let's just go," Link insisted.

"Whatever…"

Link considered arguing the point, but knew from prior experience that it would be pointless. Instead, Link quickly returned to King Zora's throne room. The revived fountain's waters were already flowing into the domain, forcing Link to mind his footing on the way back. As the hero had expected, the Zora king looked profoundly relieved to see water flowing through his domain once again. Of course, he wasn't completely at ease with his daughter missing and in danger. Ruto still needed to be rescued, and Link had a strong feeling that finding her would be an even more difficult task than retrieving the Jewel of Wind.

After all, this was _Ruto_ they were talking about.

"Ah, Link, it eases my heavy heart to see that you've succeeded in restoring the waterfall and saving our domain," King Zora spoke up when Link reached the raised platform below.

"Yeah, now nobody has to worry about dying of thirst," Link replied. "I think you're right about where Ruto is, though. I didn't find her in the cavern where I discovered the Jewel of Wind, so she has to be in the Fortress of Ice. The next elemental jewel is probably there as well."

"I must agree. But tread cautiously when you enter our former home. I fear evil has despoiled it."

"Of course."

With that, Link quickly departed the throne room. After hastily bidding goodbye to the grateful Zoras, Link returned to the river. To his delight, it too had been revived and flowed swift and deep. He quickly sought out the fairy fountain he had thought of before, which was located on a cliff at the south side of the river, and had a fairy heal his wounds and then raced back to Hyrule Field as quickly as his legs would carry him. He briefly considered simply letting the currents of the river carry him to the entrance but, after bouncing around the cavern back in the fountain, that idea quickly struck him as highly unappealing. After following the riverbank for some distance and a brief hike through the field, Link was able to quickly make it back to Kakariko. As he had expected, Kelli awaited him at the base of the staircase, and her expression one of deep worry. At this, Link was not surprised given that both Kelli's best friend and beloved steed were missing and likely in great peril. Even for the most stout hearted, such was enough to cause terrible grief.

"Kel! Hey!" Link greeted as he approached the young heroine.

"Ah, Link!" Kelli replied. "I'm glad you made it here so quickly. I'll try to make this quick…wait, what is that smell?"

"Jabu-Jabu said 'thank you' for restoring Zora's Fountain," Link groused. "I swear, his breath is just terrible."

"…Okay then, I'm going to make this _very_ quick."

"Alrighty, what technique are you going to teach me this time?"

"This one is called the back slice. It's a personal favorite of mine, and it's sure to come in handy. Watch me use it on this tree over here."

Link nodded as Kelli readied her sword and shield and approached a dead tree, which barely looked as if it had lived at all, that was mere yards away from the staircase. Link watched Kelli's eyes focus unblinkingly on the dead sapling and she took a few steps to the side. Afterwards, she jumped to the right, rolled sideways around the tree, and launched into a leaping spin, slashing the dead sapling into splinters.

"Wow, that _does_ look pretty handy," Link commented.

"Yeah. The back slice can help you strike a foe whose front side is protected by armor or who's using a shield," Kelli explained. "Stalfos and Lizalfos Knights should be easy meat with this trick. The back slice can even penetrate armor strapped on their backs."

"Ah. So, I could swing around behind an enemy and hit them from the rear before they can react!" Link finished.

"Exactly! I've no doubt that you will face greater challenges ahead, so I feel this technique will help you overcome them."

"Yeah, no doubt about that. I'll give it a try now."

So saying, Link made his way towards a second dead tree, which looked as though it too did not live long beyond a sapling. He drew his blade, focused his mind and took a few steps to one side. Launching himself into a roll and a leap, he mimicked Kelli's maneuver as best as he could. However, to his surprise, he ended up facing away from the tree upon landing from his leaping spin.

"Great job!" Kelli complimented. "Though, it would probably help more if you _faced_ your enemy when landing. That way you wouldn't have to turn around before striking again."

"Eh, heh, yeah…" Link agreed, scratching the back of his head in abashment. "I'll work on that. Thanks, though! I'll get going now. Lake Hylia is pretty far on foot."

"True. Good luck!"

"Thanks again!"

Even with the healing powers of the fairy from the fountain, it wasn't long before the trek had him breathing hard. Reaching Lake Hylia on foot would take at least another day and, to further complicate matters, it had been quite some time since he had last slept. Link considered finding a defensible area to take some rest, but he knew he couldn't. Aside from the likelihood that the enhanced monsters would sniff him out, Link would risk the lives of Ruto and the horses even further by falling asleep. Not to mention Ruto would accuse him of being lazy of all things. Link was already shuddering at the thought of how she'd react when he found her. Putting up with her delusions that he was her fiancé, again, was about as appealing as facing a half dozen Iron Knuckles. Instead, his thoughts went to the note Kelli had found.

Apparently, at least some of these monsters were intelligent enough to learn how to read or write the Hylian tongue. And, if they had indeed taken Epona and Sunfire, they were surely intelligent enough to know that Link and Kelli would be at a disadvantage without their steeds. So, Link took it as a given that his enemies might have a trap waiting for him, but he wondered just how far the monsters' new found intellect might extend. Could they be able to speak the Hylian tongue themselves? Or, for that matter, understand Hylian speech? That musing sparked another: could the monsters be using their ability to understand Hylian speech in order to plan their attacks? It would certainly explain how they had just "happened" to carry out their abduction of King Daphnes at the precise moment when Kelli was furthest away. Maybe the monsters had also understood about Link's plan to scale Death Mountain while Kelli sought clues regarding Judo, and realized they had more than enough time to make off with Epona and Sunfire? Link gulped at the idea, but pressed on nonetheless.

Hours later, as the next morning dawned, Link finally reached what was once the entrance to Lake Hylia. Just as King Zora had described, a cloud of fog enshrouded the lake in an impenetrable, opaque gloom. The fences that blocked the entrance were visible, barely, amidst the wispy fringes of mist which teased at the southern boundary of Hyrule Field. It was difficult to tell in the fog, but the fences themselves appeared to have been torn asunder, lying in pieces as if something large and powerful had smashed through them. Before Link could discern anything more, however, a bright pink glow erupted from his rucksack. He quickly produced the Jewel of Wind and watched as its power was unleashed. In an instant, a powerful gale raged to life and blew into the southerly lake, and nearly blowing Link right off his feet. As the wind blew into the fog, the opaque mass began to churn into an ivory tornado. Then, with a final explosion of elemental power, the cyclone of fog seemed to leap skyward and then scatter to the four winds. Once the fog vanished, Link shook his head in amazement at the spectacle of magic. The sight that greeted him, however, turned his amazement into worry. Just as he'd suspected, something had indeed smashed through the fences. Shattered fragments of iron littered the grass nearby while the jagged stumps of crossbeams thrust outward from the weathered pillars, looking ready to fall off at any moment.

"Dang…" Link uttered moments later. "Whatever did this must be powerful."

"Yeah, I'll bet you it was the same creature that tore down the bridge in the Lost Woods," Navi agreed.

"And maybe the same creature that kidnapped the horses as well. It might also be the same one that made off with King Daphnes."

"That too."

"Well then, let's go!"

Link then hurried through the shattered gates and into Lake Hylia, hoping he wasn't too late to find the horses. However, what he saw as he approached the lake shocked him even more than the fences right outside had. During the dark future, a terrible curse had befallen Lake Hylia, causing much of the lake to dry up. However, this time, it looked worse. Even in the dark future, the barest portion of the lake's pristine waters had remained. Now, there was not a single drop of water left in the bed of the lake. It was completely bone dry, all the way down to the entrance of the Water Temple. The temple's entrance itself was sealed off by two fallen pillars while Blue and Red Tektites, arachnid-like creatures who moved on four legs, swarmed the lakebed. The ancient tree that stood atop the island which concealed the temple had been cut down while the bridges which had connected the island to the mainland had collapsed. The only place that appeared to be untouched was the fishing pond on the east side of the lake, though Link sincerely doubted that it was open for business. The Lakeside Laboratory near the entrance also looked relatively unscathed, but the windows were dark and boarded up and the wooden door had been replaced with a solid looking metal door. As with the fishing pond, Link rather doubted any familiar faces were lingering within. As Link's horrified gaze slowly scanned the entire area, his eyes widened with dispair.

"I…I can't believe this," he choked out. "The lake… I-It's in even worse shape than it was in the dark future… And I didn't think even that was possible."

"Yeah…" Navi agreed, the lake's state silencing her usual jibes. "And if the lake is completely dry…then the river in Gerudo Valley must be as well."

"This is bad…" was all Link could say in reply.

Moments later, Navi shot upward.

"…Hey! Look! Look over there!"

Link turned to follow Navi's gaze, and what he spied made his jaw drop. Sitting at the edge of the cliff overlooked the Gerudo river was a large metal cage which contained both Epona and Sunfire.

"The horses!" Link exclaimed and began to hurry over to them.

"Link, wait! It could be some kind of trap!" Navi protested.

"Yeah, but I'm not going to just leave them in there!" Link retorted and continued towards the cage.

Epona and Sunfire began to whinny as they spotted the hero rushing towards them. As Link approached their cage, however, he spied bloody claw marks along the sides of both mares, who continued to whinny in pain from their wounds. Link worriedly scrambled up to the cage to release the imprisoned mares, lest those wounds become infected. But as he arrived, he noticed another parchment note which had been tied to the cage's door.

"Sigh… Now what?" Link rhetorically wondered in aggravation as he plucked the note off the bars and unfolded it. As he tore the parchment free, he thought he heard a tiny ringing sound, but was too frustrated to care. He then read it aloud for Navi to hear.

_I must commend you on finding your precious steeds so quickly! It is, however, most unfortunate that we have no use for them. My minions have been instructed to begin be pushing this cage over the cliff when they receive the signal. What signal, you ask? Why, they will be signaled by the ringing of the bell tied to this note which, undoubtedly, you carelessly jangled while tearing this note free. We will see if your combat prowess makes up for your lack of foresight. As for the aforementioned minions, if you can stop them, then the horses are yours. However, if you fail, they will be lost and I needn't elaborate upon the implications of _that_._

Link's fist tightened to crumple the parchment which, sure enough, trailed a length of twine tied to a small bell. The minions whom the note mentioned, undoubtedly, could not be far away.

"This is madness! IF IT'S A FIGHT YOU WANT, THEN COME AT ME!" Link yelled in rage.

Before Navi could voice her agreement, however, a skeletal fist suddenly burst out of the ground. A second fist followed and then another as a trio of Stalfos clambered out of their shallow graves and onto the cliff, surrounding Link. All three bore golden eyes, which meant the Sun Arrows would do little to harm them. Link grimaced in frustration as the beasts eyed him and readied his sword and shield. Before he could make a move, however, the Stalfos suddenly charged towards him, angling their own blades for the kill. Thinking quickly, Link darted out of the Stalfos' path, causing the trio to collide with one another and topple to the ground. Not giving his foes a chance to recover, Link then back flipped to put some distance between him and his assailants. As the Stalfos were rising back to their feet, but were still entangled with one another, Link rolled towards them and launched into a spinning roll attack, making sure his blade struck all three of his foes. Two of them had been knocked into the cage while the other landed right in front of it.

Unfortunately, by the time Link realized his mistake, the two Stalfos that had collided with the cage were in motion. They immediately stood up and began working together to shove the cage over the cliff. The third Stalfos positioned himself between Link and the cage, no doubt to run interference. Link, seeing through the ploy, attempted to run past the Stalfos but the skeletal knight drove its foot into his side as he passed, sending the hero sprawling to the turf. However, Link shook off the blow and scrambled to his feet angrily. His snarl became a smirk, however, when he noticed how close together the trio of Stalfos was. He focused his mind, angled his blade and performed the back slice Kelli had taught him. Despite the rather embarrassing practice session, Link managed a near perfect execution this time. He managed to hit both the Stalfos running interference and one of the pair which had been pushing the cage. The remaining Stalfos avoided Link's wrath but, when it tried to continue pushing the cage, it was unable to budge it. Realizing that the horses were safe for the time being, Link pressed his advantage. While the first two Stalfos were down, Link hacked away at the remaining enemy, shattering the skeletal knight into hail.

"Link!" Navi shouted as one of the three creatures fell. "Don't forget that if you don't beat the other two fast enough, the Stalfos you just beat will resurrect itself!"

"Yeah, I know!" Link replied, though the thought irritated him.

Link was too worried, and angry, to allow any of the Stalfos to get the better of him. With the new techniques he'd learned from Kelli, such as shield attacks, roll attacks, and back slices, he easily overcame the final two Stalfos. Though the creatures had once again attempted to use some of Kelli's techniques as well, such as the charged jump attack the one from the Lost Woods had performed, Link had seen it coming and turned the tables by rolling under the Stalfos while there were in mid-flight. When the last Stalfos went down, a sparkling silver key dropped from its body. Link let out a gasp of relief and gingerly inspected his side. It was still painful from the Stalfos's kick, but he could tell that nothing was broken. So, he snatched the key up from the ground and made for the cage.

"Don't worry, guys, you're going to be alright!" Link assured the horses as he unlocked the cage door. Sunfire rushed out first, followed by Epona. Sunfire, quite exuberant at her newfound freedom, nuzzled Link's cheek.

"Aw, shucks," he uttered in response and patted her neck. "You should return to Kelli though. She'll treat your wounds."

As if she understood Link's words, Sunfire neighed happily and galloped off towards the exit to Hyrule Field. Link smiled as he watched her disappear. Hopefully, Sunfire wouldn't run into anymore monsters on the way to Kakariko.

After the palomino horse disappeared from sight, Link felt Epona making her presence known as she gave him the same thanks Sunfire had. Link smiled once more, stroking Epona's head, and produced a white cloth from his rucksack.

"Good thing I keep this on-hand for emergencies," he opined as he took Epona by the reins. He led her to the edge of the dry lake near where the fishing pond was located.

"Stay here, girl. I'll be right back," Link spoke gently. "Just hang in there, alright?"

Epona neighed softly in return, though whether it was in concern or relief, Link wasn't sure. Nonetheless, he produced the Grappleshot and launched himself over to the fishing pond. There had always been water there, even in the dark future, and the monsters always seemed to ignore it. Of course, Link had no problem with this as he rushed through the door. The owner as Link had suspected, was nowhere to be seen. He likely had fled the lake to seek safety and, in any case, he'd never been fond of Link. The pond owner had held the record for catching the biggest fish, which had weighed seven pounds and it was doubtful that he'd appreciated Link breaking his record by catching a twenty-four pound fish. Add in Link using the pole to remove the owner's cap after and...well...all has been said. Though this had occurred in the dark future, Link wouldn't mind pulling the same prank again sometime. The green clad hero then shrugged, snickered at the recollection, and then dipped his cloth into the water until it was soaked. He then rushed back to Epona, who had waited for him patiently as usual.

"Okay, this might hurt a little," Link warned as he approached Epona's right flank and rang out the cloth until it was fairly damp. He then gently laid the cloth on Epona's skin and began to rub down her wounds. She had whinnied for a moment in pain, but relaxed soon after. Link remembered such a simple treatment having been performed on him a few times before, and thought it would come in handy in the future. After doing the same to the wounds on the opposite side of Epona's body, Link wrung out the cloth again and put it away.

"Alright, I have to go do something important," he said. "I don't know how long I'll be this time, but I'll return as soon as I can."

Link could sense Epona's unease, especially considering what happened the last time Link left her alone for too long, but she remained as loyal as they day they'd met. Link then stroked Epona's neck and fed her a carrot. Afterwards, he clambered onto the dry lakebed and readied his sword and shield in case any of the Tektites attacked him. Now that the horses were safe, Link could focus on finding the entrance to the Fortress of Ice. At first, however, the sand and rocks of the lakebed all looked alike…except for a sheet of ice on the southwestern wall. Surely the fortress lay just beyond, but Link had nothing that could melt or destroy the ice. Link continued searching, in case there might be another entrance to the Zora tribe's former home but, aside from the tunnel that led to Zora's Domain, all he found were rocks and sand.

"Ugh, this is more difficult than I expected," he opined minutes later.

"I agree. How about we split up?" Navi suggested.

"Alright, but be careful."

"But of course. I say the same thing to you rather often, don't I?"

"Oh stuff it."

Navi merely giggled as she flew off. Link ignored it as he walked in the opposite direction. Not having any better ideas, Link continued to search the lakebed while fending off Tektites in the process. Some of the soil might be covering another entrance, so Link kept his eyes open for disturbed sand or dislodged rocks. Given Ruto's impatience, he was already bracing himself for yet another unpleasant meeting with the Zora Princess, so he hurried as best he could. Within the next few minutes, as he approached the southernmost point of the lake, Link spotted what appeared to be large cracks in the rock.

"Hey! Navi!" he called excitedly. "I think I found something!"

Navi quickly flew back over to her partner and examined his discovery.

"Ah, I bet you can bomb this open!" she commented.

"Only one way to find out."

Link then produced a bomb, lit the fuse, and set it in front of the cracked rock. After he rushed a few yards away and plugged his ears, the bomb detonated, revealing yet another cave entrance. However, the walls on the inside of this one were mirror smooth and very nearly reflective. It was clearly not a naturally dug tunnel, which meant only one thing.

"If this isn't what we're looking for, then I don't know what is," Link commented as he walked inside.

"I agree. This tunnel is clearly man-made," Navi replied. "Or in this case, Zora-made."

As they journeyed deeper into the tunnel, however, the air grew colder, and the mirror smooth walls gave way to equally smooth ones made of ice. Stalagmites and stalactites, also made of ice, thrust outward from the ceiling and floors while frigid droplets cascaded downward.

"Dang, it's freezing in here," Link opined through chattering teeth. "This is definitely the Fortress of Ice. I just thought of something though. How could the monsters that attacked Ruto's escorts come from this place if the entrance was sealed up?"

"Hmm. The ice we saw outside might be blocking another entrance, right? Maybe the ice got there _after_ Ruto was brought in here," Navi suggested.

"Yeah, that must be it. They could've frozen the entrance shut after the attack. But if that's the case, then that raises another question. Why _are_ there two entrances?"


	13. The Fortress of Ice

Chapter 13: The Fortress of Ice

By the time Link reached at the end of the tunnel, he was already shivering. The cold of the frozen dungeon pierced his clothing and bit into his flesh like icy fangs, forcing him to clasp his arms around his torso in a vain effort to ward off the chill. His teeth were chattering and his whole face felt as if it had been dusted with frost. More to distract himself from the cold than anything else, he briefly looked around the first chamber of the icy, wet domain now known as the Fortress of Ice. Sheets of solid ice spanned the floor and ceiling, smooth and moist to the touch, while irregular outgrowths of multifaceted ice crystals overwhelmed the walls, each one containing hundreds of images of the same shivering Hylian. Considering that Link had never been colder in his life, he was somewhat perplexed when he noticed puddles nearby, water dripping from the damp ceiling, and a small pool spanning the middle of the room. Why these weren't frozen as well, Link had no idea; but he hardly had time to think it over. A screeching sound drew his gaze upward and, above him, Ice Keese fluttered about the room, ready to swoop down on any intruders. Deciding not to give them the chance to notice his presence, Link raced toward the stone door ahead, which was bordered by another sheet of ice and one of the inexplicable pools of water. He shivered all the more from the chilled air flowing through the chamber. Link had been no stranger to the cold, as his quests had taken him to the Ice Cavern on the far side of the Zora's Fountain and to the wintry peaks of Snowhead in Termina, but either of those seemed like the beach at Great Bay compared to the Fortress of Ice. He was surprised that the entire room hadn't yet been frozen solid. Still, Link slowly walked towards the pool of water, dreading that he'd have to swim through it to reach the other side. Images of becoming a living ice sculpture danced through Link's imagination, and chilled him all the more.

"This has g-g-got to be the c-coldest place I've ever b-been in," Link commented through his chattering teeth.

"I agree. This is w-worse than the Ice Cavern," Navi chattered.

"If Ruto is h-here, I don't know how in blazes sh-she takes it! YIKES!"

Link had heard the fluttering of one of the Ice Keese just in time, and dove out of the way as the creature swooped straight for him. He retaliated by drawing his sword and cleaving the icy bat in two. Deciding he would be no worse off for a jump in the likely freezing water, Link dove into the pool. He quickly decided that that decision was definitely not one of his best. The water was so cold, it burned. His lungs heaved and his heart pounded as the icy water seemed to clutch him in a grip that Morpha, who had been the boss of the Water Temple in the dark future, would envy. Knowing better than to turn back and give the Ice Keese another chance at him, Link pumped his arms and legs as much as he could, as much to keep them from going numb as to reach the other side. By the time he neared his goal, his limps felt so numb that he couldn't even feel them anymore. Once he reached the far side and forced his frozen limbs into motion to clamber out of the water, searing pain shot up and down his body as the blood began flowing through his numb limbs.

"H-Holy…c-c-cuccos!" Link exclaimed, nearly doubling over in agony. "I w-was only in th-there for what, a few seconds and alr-ready I c-can barely move!"

"Oh, honestly, Link, is it r-really that bad?" Navi retorted.

Indeed, this was true. Link's limbs and joints felt as if they'd been frozen solid and, when he forced them into motion, the pain made his eyes water.

"Y-Yes! Heck, people lose limbs this way. But I…I can take it… I think…"

"Whatever…"

Once the pain had, slightly, subsided, Link staggered to the door and, to his relief, it was not frozen shut. It opened readily enough but, to Link's dismay, the next few rooms were no different. In every frozen room, enemies abounded. Even worse, in the second and third chambers, Link encountered yet another unpleasant memory from his earlier quests: Freezards. He had encountered the fairly small, horned creatures, which seemed to be made completely of ice, in the Ice Cavern and the Snowhead Temple. As far as Link was concerned, he hated these things almost as much as he hated Torch Slugs. Unlike many of this foes, there was little warning before they unleashed their frozen breath, and one hit would render him frozen in a block of ice. Worse still, however, Freezards always populated cold places and might very well be swarming this dungeon. Luckily, it only took a few strikes to bring one down…assuming that whoever was enhancing these monsters had not corrected that flaw.

Link soon had no choice but to find out, however. The next room was lair to several of the chilly monsters and the door was sealed off by bars, leaving Link with no choice but to do battle. Luckily, the Freezards were spread throughout the room, so Link then decided that the best tactic was to focus on only one of the creatures at a time. He quickly discovered, however, that the Freezards' freezing breath now had a wider range. Kelli's lessons in the back slice allowed Link to outmaneuver the blast, but the coating of frost newly added to his boots told him that he would not be so lucky a second time. Thankfully, since there were only a few populating the chamber, Link was able to engage them one at a time with little risk of being being exposed to flanking fire from another Freezard. Even better, whatever fiend enhanced these Freezards neglected another glaring weakness in the creature. A Freezard always expelled their frozen breath for several, long seconds and, better yet, they still couldn't move. Taking a hint from his still frost encrusted boots, Link waited until the Freezard unleashed its freezing breath and back flipped out of range. With their wider attack, Link had to weave a broader circle around his foe to reach the creature's backside and then use a jump attack to close the gap.

_ Well, a little exercise will help warm the bones,_ Link mused, unimpressed with these latest enemies.

Each one went down with only three strikes, shattering into hundreds of ice shards under his sword and melting away. When the last of them fell, the bars on the door rose. Link immediately entered after, all the more eager to be done with this dungeon as soon as possible.

The next room was much larger than the first few Link had explored. If he had been puzzled by the unfrozen puddles in the frigid dungeon, then he was confounded to see a waterfall cascading into a large pool of water. The muddled hero spent several long moments gazing at the water for…well, he wasn't really sure what he was looking for. Still, instincts honed by negotiated many dungeons and all the dangers therein told him that there was something decidedly strange about the unfrozen water. What that might be, he could not say but he suspected that he'd find out soon enough…and that the knowledge would prove vital. The banks of the eerie lake were bordered on one side by a barrier of strange bars, which rose out of the water and nearly touched the ceiling, while the water flowed through a small canal that had been carved into the floor and which ran the length of the room. More than a little curious as to why the canal had not frozen, Link surveyed the lake a second time. Just beyond, the lake itself was dotted with small icebergs, floating upon the water's surface. Link could see a door on the far side of the lake, but the bars were too tall for Link to leap over and too narrow to squeeze through. Furthermore, there were no targets for his Grappleshot. What's more, even if Link had been willing to risk another swim through the icy waters, and even Ruto seemed preferable to _that_, the bars appeared to run all the way to the bottom of the lake and the gaps between them were too small for Link to fit through. But, then again, it was probably just as well, for small rays known as Stingers populated the water while more Ice Keese winged about the room. The canal divided the section of the room Link was in clean in half and, on the opposite side, were other doors. One door, bordering the strange lake, was barred while the one across the canal was sealed with a lock and chains. Before Link could begin wondering how to open one of them, he spotted a dark blue, rusty eye switch on the wall between the two doors.

Suspecting that triggering it would unseal the barred door, Link drew his bow and fired a Sun Arrow at the switch. To his surprise, instead of opening the door, it caused a small treasure chest to shimmer into existence right below it. Intrigued, Link hopped over the canal, walked over to the chest, and opened it to find a small key. While carefully avoiding the Ice Keese and Stingers, Link approached the chained door and inserted his new key into the lock. Upon entering the newly accessible room, Link immediately noticed that this chamber was much different than the other rooms he'd visited. To his astonishment, it was not frozen. The ceiling was arrayed with stalactites, but these were of stone rather than ice, which wept droplets of water into puddles scattered across the floor. A door at the opposite end of the cave led onward, but Freezards populated the room once again, along with a group of Blue Tektites, forcing Link to be all the more cautious as he attacked. Tektites were weak creatures, but their agility made them dangerous.

As he fought his way through the creatures in order to reach the door ahead, Link decided to take out the Tektites first. He'd already seen these enhanced monsters try to get the better of him by working in teams, and they'd nearly succeeded once or twice, so he wanted to make sure the Tektites couldn't knock him into the path of the Freezards' frozen breath. One Freezard had very nearly struck him in the process, but Link managed to leap out of the way at the last second. Fortunately, the Tektites didn't seem to have changed much, though whoever or whatever could make even Stalfos and Iron Knuckles more dangerous likely wouldn't have bothered with the feeble Tektikes in the first place. As such, each one fell to his blade fairly easily, allowing Link to quickly turn his focus upon the Freezards. By back flipping out of range of the Freezards' wider breath and weaving a wide circle to strike them from behind, Link soon cleared the room and continued to the door ahead. A smug grin graced his features at the easy victory, but then it vanished as something occurred to him. This dungeon had, thus far, been a little _too_ easy. Even the simplest and un-enhanced enemies had put up fierce resistance but here, aside from his swim through the icy pond, he hadn't even been met with a decent challenge. More curious still, the rooms were not even half as complex as those from the prior dungeons. Wary of this seeming ease, and suspecting it was deceptive, Link pressed on.

However, the next room turned out to be a dead end. It contained no doors, save for the one Link had come through. In fact, the chamber was completely empty except for a single switch sitting in the middle of the floor and several puddles of water scattered everywhere. More icy stalactites thrust downward from the ceiling as well, weeping droplets and looking eerily like fangs waiting to bite an intruder in half. Shivering from both the cold and the imagery, Link approached the switch and stepped on it. He had expected the switch to cause a treasure chest to drop from some unseen hiding place in the ceiling, which happened often in the cal-du-sacs of the dungeons. Yet, he stood there and listened carefully, but nothing happened at all. Link merely scratched the back of his head in confusion.

"Well… That w-was weird," he commented, arching an eyebrow. "C-could the mechanism have broken down, with nobody here to k-keep the p-place up?"

"M-Maybe. We have no ch-choice but to turn back, though," Navi replied.

"Hmm… You know, I wonder if…" Link murmured contemplatively, turning around to return to the expansive main chamber with the lake and canal.

Link raced back through the previous two chambers, and entered the main chamber once more. He immediately turned his attention to the door that had previously been sealed by bars. The bars, however, had risen and the door was open. Another smug grin tugged at the corners of Link's mouth. His earlier hunch from before had been correct; the switch, which _appeared_ to do nothing, had caused the bars to rise, granting Link access.

"Ha! I kn-knew it!" Link exclaimed excitedly. "Let's go, Navi!"

"Oh yeah, I f-forgot about that door. Good th-thinking," Navi complimented, following Link through the door.

"As I said in the Magma C-Cavern, I'm just that bright. Hee hee hee," Link chuckled with an ecstatic grin.

"Oh, p-put an icicle in it."

"Ugh, don't even joke about that! I'm f-freezing as heck as it is. What, I can't brighten the m-moment a little?"

The next room, much like the main chamber, contained a pool of water, but this time it was partially frozen. A half-moon sheet of ice, its jagged edges clawing at the waters, spanned half of the lake and spread to cover a portion of the floor. A White Wolfos prowled near a chunk of ice sitting on the floor, prompting Link to silently ready his sword and shield. On the far side of the water, Link could spy a web of cracks lining a portion of the wall. Link didn't doubt for a moment that he could shatter the cracked ice with a bomb, but the pool was much too broad. He knew he would not be able to throw the bomb all the way across the lake. Thankfully, it only took seconds for him to spot a stirrup-shaped stalactite hanging from the ceiling above the lake. Knowing exactly what he needed to do, Link decided to ignore the Wolfos for the time being. Quietly, so as to avoid attracting the lupine monster's attention, Link searched for a good vantage point and quickly produced the Grappleshot. He then aimed it at the stalactite, but before he could launch it, the White Wolfos caught his scent and charged forward, ramming itself into Link and sending him crashing to the floor. Hoping he hadn't heard a rib crack under the impact, Link scrambled to his feet as the Wolfos stalked towards him, fangs dripping and eyes glowing with azure fury. The creature's navy eyes meant it was a creature of the moon and, knowing what that meant, Link drew his bow. After evading one of the creature's claw swipes, he let fly with a Sun Arrow. It blasted through the Wolfos's back, erupting through its chest in a shower of ichor and lodged itself into the wall behind it. The creature staggered, fell and, after a few moments of convulsing, was dead.

With the White Wolfos dealt with, Link aimed and fired the Grappleshot at the stalactite. As he swung across the water, Link angled his swing toward the cracked wall, extended one leg, and braced for the impact. He brought up one hand to shield his face from flying ice shards as he crashed through the cracked wall as hard as he could. Thanks to Link's great strength and the momentum of the swing, the wall crumbled upon impact. Behind the wall was a small niche containing a large treasure chest and an unlit torch. The torch was as cold as everything else in the dungeons and looked as if it hadn't been lit since the Zoras lived there. This was hardly a surprise, however, as no fire could possibly burn in such a cold place. Link did not hesitate to land at the small niche, approach the chest, and open it to reveal the map. He anxiously unrolled it and looked it over. What he saw made his jaw drop.

"Whoa! There's another s-section of the dungeon we c-can't access yet. And it's gigantic!" Link exclaimed, eyeing the mass of rooms west of his location on the map. Navi peered over Link's shoulder to see.

"Yeah. And look here. It seems that that b-block of ice we saw outside really is blocking a s-second entrance after all," Navi added, gesturing towards a room in the larger section that had an opening drawn on it.

"You're right. But we don't have any w-way of getting in."

"Oh yeah… Well, let's h-hope we turn something up in here."

"Indeed."

After rolling the map up again and putting it away, Link continued to explore the rest of the room. Despite his best efforts, however, he found nothing unusual. So, he made his way to the only other door in the room while struggling to keep his footing on the icy floor. The door was located to the left of where Link had first come through. After taking another look at the map, he realized that not many rooms remained in this section of the fortress. Two of these rooms, however, led back to the main chamber, but via the door located on the far side of the walled-off lake. A third and fourth chamber were located behind the waterfall, but how to access them eluded Link. More than anxious to get there, the hero hurried through the next door.

In this room, several canals ran across the floor, water flowing through each of them. At the head of each canal was a furiously spinning fan, propelling the water into currents that moved so fast, Link suspected that not even a Zora would be able to swim in them. More Ice Keese fluttered about in the air and blue Tektites awaited unsuspecting victims. As Link walked along the edges of the canals, being careful not to fall in, he scanned the room for the next door. Strangely, it was nowhere to be seen. Puzzled, Link checked the map again. The door was supposedly on the wall to the left and right next to the nearest canal, but all that was there was a an ancient statue of a Zora. Link, thinking that the statue might be concealing the door, began to shove it with all his might. The statue wobbled threateningly for a few moments, but would not budge.

Suddenly, just as Link was about to give up on the statue, a Tektite sprang at him. Caught off guard, the impact sent Link toppling over backwards and into the canal. The instant Link was in the freezing cold water, the strong current seized him and dragged him along through every one of the branching canals. Unable to control his course or even slow down at all, Link was pulled along helplessly and, though the canal was too shallow for him to drown in, he kept bouncing painfully off the floor and walls of the canal. And, of course, the frigid waters didn't help much either.

"AAAH! OUCH! COOOLD!" Link yelped as he vainly grasped at the sides of the canal to try and climb out. Navi, once she saw that Link was in no real danger, giggled to herself at the humorous sight of him being bobbled, jostled and plastered against the canal. Eventually, Link managed to find a section along the edge of the canal which was rugged enough to offer handholds. Grasping it with a white-knuckle grip, Link pulled himself out of the canal. Link then sagged with relief, soaked from head to toe, bruised from bouncing around the canal and his teeth chattering furiously. Navi was giggling harder this time.

"Oh sh-shut up," Link retorted through chattering teeth as he wrung out his tunic; he was certainly going to remember this the next time he thought of Tektites as being merely a nuisance. "Bloody p-p-pests…"

With murder in his eyes, Link drew his sword and cut down every Tektite in sight. However, Navi only continued to laugh at Link's earlier blunder as she leisurely seated herself upon the Zora statue's right hand.

"Will you kn-knock it off?" Link seethed as he finished off the last Tektite. "It wasn't that f-funny! I think I twisted something in there."

"Hee hee. Okay, okay," Navi replied, taking to the air again.

Suddenly, just as she had flown away from the statue, the hand on which she had been sitting descended slightly. The statue then slowly slid to one side, revealing the door to the next room behind it. Link's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"I should have guessed," he opined.

"No kidding," Navi agreed.

With that, Link hurried through the door before any of the Ice Keese could take an interest in him and, as was shown on the map, he found himself back in the main room. Except that, this time, he was on the far side of the bars. Link, certain that he'd discover some clue about how to reach the second portion of the dungeon, or at least the significance of all the unfrozen water, scanned the room eagerly. However, to his surprise, there appeared to be nothing more to that part of the room besides the pool of water and the waterfall. Bewildered and frustrated, Link wondered what to do next.

"Hey, Link…" Navi spoke up. "I think I see something really shiny in the water down there."

"Huh?" Link wondered.

He then peered into the water, and there, resting on the floor of the small lake, was a round, shiny object. However, it was so far down that Link could barely see it, let alone tell what it might be.

"Aren't you going to go after it?" Navi inquired, a hint of impatience in her tone.

"Ugh… Alright. I just know I'm not going to enj-joy this," Link grumbled with a sigh. "Especially after I h-had just wrung out my tunic."

Not giving himself enough time to reconsider, he dove into the water and swam deeper and deeper until he could grasp the round object below. Once he had it firmly in hand, he swam back to the surface, clambered out of the water and, once again, wrung out his sodden clothes. 

"If the c-colors start to r-run, I'm going to—" Link began, but was cut off.

"Oh, s-stuff it!" Navi shot back. "Besides, I'm sure if _Zelda_ w-was here, you'd be t-taking off your shirt every chance you got."

"Will you shut it already?"

While he'd been bandying words with Navi, Link had also been examining his find. It was piece of some sort of jewelry, consisting of pendant made out of a shiny purple material which reflected the light in the dungeon and a black chain. He immediately held the pendant out in his hand to show Navi what it was.

"Hey Nav, ch-check this out!" he blurted. "It's some kind of w-weird pendant, I think."

"So it is," Navi observed. "That d-doesn't look like anything that w-would belong to the Zoras, though."

"Yeah, I ag-gree," Link replied, slipping the pendant around his neck. "I d-don't think this is going to g-get us into the other half of the f-fortress either. But we'll ask Ruto about it j-just to be sure. If she d-doesn't know anything, then we'll turn to K-Kelli or his majesty."

"Oh, Kelli p-probably knows," Navi guessed, her tone turning snarky. "She's little miss know-it-all to you, isn't sh-she?"

Link merely folded his arms in disgust and glared at the wall. He should've known Navi would make yet another such jibe at the mention of the young Sky Guardian.

"Now you know that's n-not what I think," Link replied, losing patience with the temperamental fairy. "Don't s-start this again, Navi."

"If that's not what y-you think, then why do you keep a-asking her about everything?"

"She's the G-Guardian of the Sun, Navi. She doesn't know everyth-thing, but she certainly knows more than us about w-what's been going on here! N-not to mention the S-Sky Guardians. We need th-that information."

"Whatever. Do what you w-want."

Link merely sighed and unfolded his arms.

"Thank you. Now let's m-move on."

"But how are w-we supposed to get t-to that last room?"

"Oh yeah… Wait, hold on. I th-think I see something."

With that, Link began to skirt the edge of the pool, his eyes unblinking as he searched for whatever had caught his eye. Then, he saw a telltale glint. The light was reflecting off of something near the waterfall, but it wasn't the water. As Link wove around to get a clearer view, he spied a metal ladder which rose to a hidden opening above.

"Bingo!" Link opined excitedly and grasped it.

Link briskly swam through the water and then clambered up the ladder. Another Zora statue sat at the top, but this time it was of a female who bore a disquieting resemblance to Ruto as she had appeared as an adult in the dark future. For a moment, Link was terrified that he'd happened across the genuine article…and Navi, he was sure, would never let him hear the end of it. Link had no idea who the Zora statue might be of, as the inscription at the base of the statue was written in Zora script, which he couldn't read, but he suspected that the statues depicted Zora royalty or other famous Zoras from the past. Link examined the statue for another possible switch like the one Navi had accidentally discovered earlier and eventually found it was the same as on the prior statue: one of the hands. After pushing the one on the right, the female Zora statue slowly slid aside to reveal another door. Link did not hesitate to enter, though he was idly wondering if the Zoras had created these mechanisms with the statues or if the monsters had.

Suddenly, just as the door closed behind Link, bars descended over it, which meant that an enemy was not far away. At the other end of the room there was yet another Zora statue. This one, however, was far grander than either of the previous statues, leading Link to suspect it might depict an ancient Zora king. It was also much larger than the other statues Link had seen in the fortress, and was flanked by a pair of unlit torches. Water covered the entire floor, rising to Link's ankles, but seemed eerily still except for where he had just passed. Even through his boots, the water was so cold that Link's toes clenched reflexively. He then noticed chunks of ice were scattered on the floor as he slogged through the freezing cold water.

Just as Link approached the center of the room, however, a chilly breeze began to blow, seemingly from all directions. The chunks of ice began to tremble and slowly drifted towards each other in the near center of the room in front of Link. Sensing that a powerful foe would soon make an appearance, Link drew his sword and shield and carefully watched the ice as the pieces began flinging themselves into the air. Link, confused but still alert, watched as the ice shards continued to rise out of the water and join together. Some looked as though they might be forming limbs, linked by invisible, and, he suspected, magical, joints and tendons, while other ice chucks forms a torso, a head and even hands and feet. Moments later, Frozo, the ice warrior, stood there before Link, girded for a fight with a sword and shield also made of ice. He grunted and chuckled, though it sounded more like ice being crushed with a hammer, and then charged at the green-clad hero standing before him.

Link, surprised at Frozo's great speed, just barely managed to jump out of his path. Link remembered what Kelli had taught him back in Kakariko and tried a shield attack against Frozo. It seemed as though, being made of ice, the creature didn't readily feel pain, but the force of the blow _did_ knock it off balance, just barely forcing an opening in the creature's defense. When Link pressed his attack, he came away with a glancing, frost speckled wound to his left cheek, but Frozo was left even worse off. Link's window had been narrow, but he'd succeeded in landing a blow in Frozo's chest and arm. The arm fell away from the ice warrior's body, with his sword still clenched in his fist, and both shattered upon the floor.

Link, believing he had the better of Frozo, was about to attack again but, when Frozo made no move to evade or escape, Link sensed that something was wrong. He was proven right when, to his astonishment, another icy arm and sword sprouted from Frozo's shoulder. He charged at Link once more, and Link, who was utterly stupefied at what he'd just witnessed, was struck full on and sent sprawling to the floor. After snapping out of it, Link scrambled to his feet and again used a shield attack to break through Frozo's defense. He then continued to hack away parts of the ice warrior's body, scattering them to the floor where they shattered and vanished. Unfortunately, every time Link would cut anything off, however, Frozo would magically re-grow whatever was lost. By now, Link had become frustrated and could only continue to block and evade Frozo's tireless attacks.

"Oh come on! It seems that no matter how much you cut him up, he'll j-just p-pull himself back together!" Navi pointed out. "You've got to f-find a way to completely shatter him to p-pieces."

"Yeah, it's getting r-really annoying," Link replied, dodging another attack that nearly took the tip of his ear off. "But I know just the th-thing to deal with it!"

With that, Link went back on the offensive, whirling about the frozen warrior and unleashing barrages of shield attacks and back slices. Frozo seemed practically unaffected by the assault but, he didn't notice in the slightest that Link had been gradually herding the frozen warrior toward the statue of the Zora king. Unaware of the trap, Frozo drew back his sword and thrust forward with all his might. Link leapt out of the way and Frozo's sword clove through the Zora statue, buried in the stone up to the hilt. As Link had suspected, the frozen warrior found getting the sword back out to be rather difficult. Not wanting to waste this opportunity, Link jumped sideways and launched himself into a back slice, sending Frozo crashing to the floor. Smiling to himself, Link then leaped into the air and thrust his sword downwards into Frozo's chest, delivering a perfect ending blow. Frozo's body shattered into a multitude of chunks of ice upon impact, but Link knew their magic could still make them reassemble.

Before the ice warrior could manage to pull himself together again, Link produced a bomb and immediately chucked it at the remains of Frozo's body. It was a fine throw, and the bomb had landed neatly in the center of the fallen chunks of ice and exploded moments later, shattering them even further. Link shielded himself from the shards of ice as they went soaring in every direction. After lowering his shield, however, Link was relieved to see that Frozo was gone. Link turned his attention to the statue, certain that it hid the next door, but he saw that Frozo's sword was still lodged in the sculpture.

"Looks like it's in deep," he opined, reaching for the statue's hand. "Still, here goes nothing."

Link pressed down on the statue's hand and, immediately, a terrible screeching and grinding filled the air. Sparks sprayed from somewhere beneath the statue, sending Link leaping backwards to avoid getting his tunic set afire, but then the spectacle died down with a succession of cracking and the sounds of tortured metal melting and deforming under impossible duress.

"Now you've d-done it, you broke the s-statue…mechanism…thing," Navi chimed in.

"Wow, that w-was terrible. My h-head's g-going to be ringing f-for days! Well, let's try this instead."

With that, Link produced another bomb and threw it at the statue. Again, he hid behind his shield until he heard the explosion fade. He looked at the statue again and saw that it had been blown to smithereens, revealing the anticipated a door beyond. According to the map, it led to the last room Link had yet to explore in that section of the dungeon. The bars that were barricading it quickly rose, allowing him to enter.

"Now, you've _really_ gone and done it! You wrecked the statue," Navi opined.

"Oh, shut u-up," Link retorted. "I hope K-King Zora won't mind that s-statue being pulverized…"

"It's really old, I'm sure he'll f-forgive you," Navi replied, dropping her snarky tone. "It couldn't be helped anyw-way."

"Yeah, I g-guess you're right. Let's get moving."

With that, Link went to the newly opened door ahead, glad to be getting his now numb feet out of the freezing cold water. His fingers, toes, and many other parts of his body had begun going numb as well, and Link was even beginning to fear that he might end up with frostbite if he stayed in the fortress for much longer.

The final room was the smallest one Link had seen so far. It was dark and, unlike most of the dungeon, did not hold even the smallest chunk of ice. The only light came from a pair of torches just ahead of Link. Upon a small dais between the torches was an ancient, ornate staff. The staff, Link supposed, must've once been beautiful, but time had not been kind to it. What looked to have once been swirling designs of blue and sea-green had turned muddy brown and the staff was pot-marked with small, round recessions which, Link suspected, had once held gemstones or pearls, but which had been since removed…or, more likely, stolen. The only part about the staff which seemed untouched was the gold embroidery which adorned the head, strung with a collection of tiny seashells and decorative scales. An inscription was carved into the dais directly below it and, unlike the inscription on the statues, it was written in the common tongue. Link slowly approached it and attempted to read the inscription. Some parts of it were faded or had been worn smooth, making it difficult to read, but Link fortunately managed to make out the words.

_If thou wouldst possess this ancestral staff_

_ The desires of royalty thusly fall into thy hands_

_ When courage doth meet this weapon of good_

_ The way of the flames shall one day prevail_

"Are you c-confused by this at all, Navi?" Link inquired after he finished reading the inscription.

"Well, it seems to say s-someone courageous should wield the staff, but other th-than that, yeah. I don't know at all w-what it means," Navi replied.

"I guess I'll take it then," Link decided and took the staff from the dais. "That part about f-flames prevailing, though… I've a feeling that m-might be a clue to how we're supposed to r-reach the rest of the dungeon."

"Yeah, it talks about f-fire," Navi agreed. "Hey, King Zora should kn-know something about this. Let's go see him again."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

With that, the pair quickly headed back to the main room with the staff in hand and continued to the fortress's exit. Link was still certain that the staff was a powerful weapon, and that it held the solution to this dungeon, so he decided to get in some practice with it on the way back to Zora's Domain. More than confident that King Zora would know the story behind the staff and why it was hidden in the Zora tribe's old home, Link eagerly exited the dungeon, climbed free of the dried up Lake Hylia after departing, and rejoined Epona by the fishing pond. Much to his relief, her wounds from earlier had stopped bleeding and had already begun to heal. The mysterious staff, however, kept tugging at Link's mind as he mounted his horse.

"It sure feels good to get out of that frozen masoleum for the time being," Link said. "I'm actually glad we had to leave."

"You can say that again," Navi agreed.

With that, Link spurred Epona to a gallop, jumping the smashed fences blocking Lake Hylia and headed for Zora's Domain once more, hoping he could acquire enough information to solve the mystery of the staff with King Zora's guidance.

"Hey Link, how about we stop by Lon Lon Ranch along the way?" Navi suggested. "We still need to pay them a visit, remember?"

"Ah, right. Let's do it," Link agreed. "I just hope Malon won't mind it being a rather short visit."

"Uh, Link, I think you're going to end up being pummeled by a woman no matter what happens."

"Daaagh…" Link groaned in frustration. Though he was loathe to admit it, Navi was right. Either Malon would be enraged because Epona was hurt and Link had put off visiting her, or Ruto would knock him around for putting her rescue off because he visited another woman.

"Why me…?" he uttered.

"Maybe because you're a ladies' man?" Navi coyly suggested.

"Oh goddesses…"

"Ah, that's right! You don't want anything to get in the way of your crush on Zelda!"

"Navi, I'm warning you, don't start this again! I never said I had a crush on anybody!"

"Hee hee. I'll believe it when I see it, oh Casanova of Castle Town. And just wait until I tell Ruto!"

"IF YOU SAY ONE WORD—GAAH!"

Before Link could finish his sentence, Epona suddenly burst into an intense gallop and raced straight for the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch. Apparently, she had figured out what her master's destination was.

"EPONA! Whoa, girl! Slow down!" Link yelped as he struggled to hang onto both the reins and his hat. "Whoa!"

Unfortunately, the excited Epona didn't slow down. In fact, she seemed to speed up.

"Aw come on! Won't you _please_ whoa?" Link continued, pulling on the reins this time. However, Epona still didn't cooperate. Link should've expected as much since she hadn't seen Malon in so long. Navi, on the other hand, burst into laughter once more as Epona reached her old pasture and corral with a joyous leap...which carried Link's forehead right into the gate arbor, knocking him clean out of the saddle and sending him sprawling to the dirt.

"OUCH!" he cried out. "Ooooh, that hurt. These hylian hardwoods aren't too soft."

Link was dimly aware of the sound of crunching dirt and a pair of booted feet soon scampered into his line of sight.

"Link, is that you?" the voice of Malon blurted, unable to hide her astonishment or her amusement. "I was hoping you'd drop in one day, but this is a little much."

"Yeah, nice to see you too," Link replied sourly. 

Link was about to clamber to his feet when, to his astonishment, Malon yanked him upright with surprising strength and then enveloped him in a rib crushing hug. Link, too bemused to do much else, simply returned the embrace while Navi muttered something to the effect of "two-timer." Epona, not one to be left out, quickly made her presence known by nuzzling Malon's cheek.

"Oh! Oh my goodness!" Malon cried, bringing a hand to the horse's cheek, but not releasing Link. "Epona! You silly horse!"

Epona merely whinnied happily and began to nuzzle Malon's face.

"I'm happy to see you too, girl! It's been so long!" the redheaded ranch girl replied and then turned to Link, her voice going husky with emotion. "And…Link! Oh, Link! Are you alright?"

"Ugggh… Yeah, I'll be fine. Man, that crazy horse! I knew she'd be excited, but geez!" Link commented as he tried to brush himself off, his embrace with Malon becoming decidedly uncomfortable.

"Oh, don't worry about it! It's been seven years, you know! I'm so happy to finally see you again!" Malon cried as she threw her arms around Link's neck and hugged him even tighter than before. "I've missed you and Epona so much!"

"I've missed you too," Link replied, returning the hug, but wary of where this reunion was leading. He was relieved that Malon hadn't yet noticed Epona's wounds, but his keen sense of danger told him that something foreboding was near.

"Well, you came back just in time!" Malon continued when she finally let Link go. "You've seen what's been happening in Hyrule! And just look at my dad's beautiful ranch!"

"Yeah, and…whoa."

When Link took a good look around the ranch, he very nearly froze where he stood. As he had seen from the field when he first arrived in Hyrule Field with Kelli, the ranch had been decimated. The stone walls which encircled the ranch showed clear signs of battle, some sections were full of holes from ballistae and catapults while, in some places, the wall had been smashed through altogether. The interior of the ranch hadn't fared much better. Much of of the horse pasture's fence had been smashed to pieces while, inside, the grass had blackened and withered. Most of the windows of the house were shattered while a tree lay on its side next to the barn, the remains of the chicken coop poking out from beneath. Rocks from the ranch wall littered the outside of the pasture, some of which had smashed in walls of the house and barn. Link was surprised that either was even still standing from the way things looked.

"It's awful, isn't it?" Malon spoke up with a sniffle. "And it looked even worse before we started repairs."

"Yeesh…" Link uttered. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I had no idea what was going on until Kelli found me."

"I know, it's not your fault. But Kelli was the one who led you back here?"

"Yeah. And she even has troubles of her own now because of what's going on. Her childhood best friend, whom she hasn't seen in seven years, is missing."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that…"

"Yeah, but I'm helping her find him. We think he might be able to help us."

"I see… Oh, if only the Royal Knights were still here…"

"The Royal Knights? Why does that sound familiar?"

"You probably heard about them before you left Hyrule. Not long before the kingdom was attacked, a messenger from Mayia brought word that they were invaded and the Royal Knights were sent to act as reinforcements in case the Mayian army was overwhelmed. They haven't been seen since."

"Okay, that's bad."

"Exactly. I don't know what's happening over there, but I fear it's dreadful."

"No kidding. …Wait a second! Did you say that the Royal Knights were sent there _before_ Hyrule was attacked?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Blast! Don't you see what's happened? Whoever's responsible for Hyrule's situation must've attacked Mayia first in order to lure the Royal Knights away! They knew the knights would go to their aid and that left Hyrule unprotected!"

"Oh! You're right! How come King Daphnes didn't see this coming?"

"I doubt he could have, unfortunately. Whoever is behind this is clever, not only for luring the Royal Knights away but for making the monsters even stronger than they were before. I doubt Hyrule, or Mayia for that matter, has ever faced an enemy like this."

"But, what could they be after? The country's already been picked clean!"

Link could think of one likely answer to that question: the Triforce. The relic of the three goddesses had attracted the evil-hearted before, most notably Ganondorf, and it made sense for this latest evil to be seeking it as well. Still, Link wasn't sure if he ought to reveal that. The story of the dark future was difficult enough for _him_ to believe, and he'd promised Zelda and the Sages that he'd keep it a secret.

"I cannot say," he admitted, a vaguely honest answer. "But, Kelli and I have some idea of what to do and we've already made some progress. We can pull through, I know it."

"Ah… Thank you, Link," Malon replied. "And Kelli as well. You know, speaking of her, she's quite mysterious too. That sword she wields is unlike anything I've ever seen before. And several days ago when this all began, I once saw her standing in the middle of Hyrule Field with her hair slightly standing on end when there wasn't even a breeze! And I think her eyes changed color too!"

"I know what you mean. She's an awesome fighter, but I had the same reaction when I first saw that. I'd explain it to you, but I'm afraid now is not the time. I have to make this visit quick."

"I understand. We'll do anything we can to help! Even Mr. Ingo said 'I can't believe I'm saying this, but where's that blasted Link when you need him? Not even that girl, Kelli is able to handle this by herself!'"

"Sounds like him alright. Anyway, I came to help search for your missing ranch tools and the other goods that were stolen from here."

"Oh! That's wonderful! You must have heard our plight from King Daphnes! Of course you can help! Let's go see my dad right away!"

"Great!"

With that, Malon led Link back to the undamaged portion of the house, and naturally, Epona followed. Malon then barged in and gestured Link to follow. Inside, Talon was fast asleep at the bottom of the stairs. Link was not surprised, as the heavyset rancher was quite a heavy sleeper. Even so, in the dark future, Talon had promised to turn over a new leaf and work hard. And from what Daphnes and Kelli had told Link, it seemed that Talon had honored that promise in this future as well. Link could even understand Talon's dozing right then of all times, in fact. With the ranch having been looted, he likely couldn't get any work done anyway.

"Dad! Look who's here!" Malon cried, instantly rousing her father from his slumber.

Talon sprang to his feet immediately.

"Huh? What in tarnation?" he blurted, and then froze where he stood when he saw Link. "Good gravy! Is that Link?"

"It is, Dad! He's finally come back! And he wants to help us!" Malon announced.

"Well I'll be! After seven long years! And boy howdy, you've sure sprouted. You look big and strong enough to wrangle up cattle on foot and with just yer hands!"

"Heh, thanks," Link replied, scratching the back of his head. "I came about the looting of the ranch. His majesty told me you could use a hand over here."

"Ah, we certainly need one! You two wait outside and I'll go fetch Ingo. He was making a list of what we're missing in case you or Kelli came by."

"Works for me."

With that, the trio departed the house and Talon entered the barn. Malon and Epona strayed towards the pasture while Link awaited the others. While he did so, he contemplated everything he had discovered so far. What was the secret to gaining access to the rest of the Fortress of Ice? He was certain the ancient staff was a clue, and that the unfrozen water was also part of the puzzle, but he hoped he could learn more from King Zora. And furthermore, Malon's mention of the Hyrulean Royal Knights had reminded Link of Daphnes's claim that Judo left on a personal errand as well. Could Judo possibly be one of these knights? It would explain how Daphnes knew him so well. Then again, if that were the case, then the king would know exactly where Judo was and the young man wouldn't be missing at all. If Judo was in Mayia, fighting against whatever foe had invaded the kingdom, then Daphnes had no reason to hide anything about the young warrior. And that left Link right back where he started.

"Man, this makes my head hurt…" He uttered. "First the fortress, which we still need to figure out, then that staff, now the knights…"

"Yeah, this is definitely puzzling," Navi agreed.

"Agreed. Also, this doesn't make sense to me, but for some reason, I can't shake off the idea that somehow, the Royal Knights being in Mayia and Judo's disappearance are connected."

"Huh. Well, we'll have to worry about that some other time. We've got the Fortress of Ice and that staff to focus on right now."

"True. I'd rather not mention this new information to Kelli anyway. It might worry her more than she already is."

"Quite true. I may not like her, but knowing that somebody you care about is in danger is bad enough. _Not_ knowing can be even worse."

"Precisely."


	14. Return to the Fire Temple

Chapter 14: Return to the Fire Temple

As Link contemplated these latest enigmas, he began to idly pace back and forth in blind arcs. He was still puzzled, and concerned, by what Malon had told him. If Judo was with the Royal Knights, then Daphnes surely knew that; and yet, he not only hadn't shared this information with Kelli but claimed he had no idea where Judo was. This left Link confused, and worried. Why hadn't the king revealed Judo's whereabouts? One likely reason sprang to mind, and left Link all the more troubled.

Perhaps Judo had been killed during his mission, and the King did not want to tell Kelli?

Link could understand this, and could even sympathize. While in Termina, he had encountered the restless ghost of the Goron hero Darmani and the dying Zora guitarist Mikau. Darmani had been in anguish after dying in an attempt to end the terrible blizzard that had struck his homeland and was tortured by the knowledge that he could do nothing to aid his people in their time of need, while Mikau was in despair after failing to recover the eggs of Lulu, the Indigo-gos' lead singer. Link had been able to help both of them and had inherited their powers in the form of the Goron and Zora Masks. But, he'd unwittingly inherited their identities as well. The Gorons had believed him to be a resurrected Darmani, and had even clamored for him to become the new patriarch of the Goron tribe after Snowhead Temple had been cleansed of evil and the blizzards stopped, while the Zoras believed him to be Mikau and were eager for him to rejoin the band. In both cases, much to his chagrin, Link could not find it in himself to confess the truth to them. What had happened after Majora had been defeated, Link had no idea, but he still regretted that he had not been truthful when he had the chance.

If King Daphnes has found himself in a similar position, Link knew better than most how unenviable it was.

Link's thoughts continued to meander, though in a darker direction. What if Judo had betrayed Hyrule and sided with the enemy? That seemed unlikely, as everything Link knew about him suggested he was upright and honorable. But, then again, many people had believed the same thing about Ganondorf before he'd launched his attack on Hyrule Castle. Link irritably shook himself back to reality. Perhaps he was looking for a motive which did not exist? For all Link knew, the reason the king had no answers was quite simple. Perhaps the mission to Mayia was secret and he _couldn't_ share the details? Or, more likely, the present chaos had cut the lines of communication between the knights and Hyrule, and the king _had_ no information to give her. Either way, Link knew this train of thought was a distraction he could ill afford and he resolved to keep his focus on his mission. He was about to make his way to the pasture to check on Epona when the sound of stomping feet echoed behind him and the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end.

That meant only one thing: danger.

"LINK!" a female voice thundered.

"Oh no…" Link uttered fearfully, slowly turning around.

He soon saw Malon approaching, her expression livid as she led Epona by the bridle. Link gulped, knowing that this only meant one thing: she had discovered Epona's injuries. This made Link rather hesitant to speak at all, but when Malon came to a halt in front of him, he braced himself for the worst.

"What is the meaning of this?" Malon demanded, leveling a finger at Epona's injuries.

"A-Alright, I can explain…" Link stammered, raising his hands defensively and then telling Malon about how the enemy had stolen both Epona and Sunfire.

"So they were taken hostage by the monsters?" Malon inquired when Link finished, her tone softening slightly.

"Exactly. I swear, neither Kelli nor I meant to leave the horses alone for that long! We'd gotten trapped in a cave, and… I'm so sorry! But I treated the wounds as best as I could."

"Ah. Don't worry, I can see that this wasn't your fault. Besides, it could have been a lot worse. We don't have any medicine left, but these injuries aren't as bad as they look. She'll be fine, but you might want to leave her here to rest for a bit. In fact, maybe you should stay the night as well. Traveling on foot is dangerous these days."

"Well, I would, but I'm kind of in a hurry," Link replied. "I'm on an important mission right now, you see. I decided to stop here along the way because King Daphnes asked me to. And, of course, to see you again."

"Ah… I see. Just go easy on Epona. Please?"

"Of course. I was going to do so anyway."

Malon nodded and then turned to face Link, a curious expression dawning her features. Relief, worry, longing and burgeoning hope all played out on her face and, before Link could react, she had thrown her arms about his torso once more. To his further consternation, her face began to drift towards his. Link felt himself tense and he fought down the urge to push Malon back. Granted, she was certainly lovely and he cared for her very much, but something deep inside the core of his being told him that some manner of peril was upon him. The minute distance between him and Malon continued to diminish, until he could clearly see the shade of red of her lips, and a husky sigh escaped her mouth. At the last moment, she angled away and craned towards his ear.

"Please be careful," she pleaded with a desperate, almost sobbing whisper. "I've lost so many friends since these troubles began, and I don't want to lose you and Epona too."

"You won't," Link replied, once he could get his breath. "And, that's a promise."

Malon pulled back, a sad smile on her face, and then went back to tending Epona. Link puffed out a discreet sigh of relief, though he wasn't truly sure what had alarmed him so. Navi, however, buzzed about him with a smirk on her face.

"Two-timer," she quipped.

"Shut up," Link growled.

Moments later, Talon and Ingo had finally emerged from the barn. Both of them looked quite harried from the ranch's recent hardships and, amazingly, Ingo looked to be in an even fouler mood than usual.

"Hey, sorry we took so long," Talon apologized, handing Link a tattered sheet of parchment with an enormous hole torn into it. "And, for that too. We haven't been able to let the cows graze with all the monsters out there and, with them so hungry, we're worried the cows will pick the grazing land clean. One of them was right angry and tried to gore me; I was lucky all she got was the parchment with that last lunge."

"Oh…!" Malon opined, her face scrunching. "Not again. The livestock's been getting so foul tempered, being cooped up here with nothing to eat. I was trying to clean the muck off of a horse's hoof the other day, and she kicked me so hard that my shoulder popped out of the joint. We needed to get a doctor over here from Kakariko to set it back in place."

"Yet another stupid mess just waiting to get worse!" Ingo grumbled. "But, the list is still good."

"Thanks," Link replied and took the sheet of parchment Talon had handed him. "Sorry about your livestock, though."

"Don't worry, we'll handle it…somehow," Talon assured. "You just focus on getting' back our tools and feed and the rest o' the kingdom too."

"But of course," Link agreed.

"Oh, and when you find the stuff, take this to carry it in," Talon advised and handed Link a sack of sturdy burlap that smelled strongly of onions.

"I will. I'll have it all back as soon as I can."

"I hope so," Ingo grumbled. "But I'm not getting my hopes up!"

"What, you don't think that I can take care of this?"

"He means that we hope the monsters haven't already broken the tools or used up all the feed," Talon elaborated. "We'd be in fer rough times if that happens."

"Ah, I see. For a moment there, I thought your ranch hand didn't think I could handle this. Sorry about that."

"Think nothin' of it. Well, we've gotta go see to the animals, so good luck to ya!"

"Thanks, and see ya."

With that, Talon and Ingo returned to the barn, leaving Link, Malon, and Epona alone once again. Malon heaved a heavy sigh as she stroked Epona's neck.

"What's the matter?" Link wondered. "Wait, that was a dumb question. Hyrule's being overrun by monsters, who are getting smarter and more dangerous, for crying out loud."

"True, but it's more than just that," Malon admitted. "I'm worried about how many people are holding up with these troubles. Not just myself, but my dad, Mr. Ingo, King Daphnes, the Gorons and Zoras and the other tribes, even you and Kelli. And, of course, the Royal Knights…"

"Yeah, I don't blame you. I've already helped the Gorons and my old Kokiri friends, but who knows if they'll be attacked again. And by the way, I'd like to know more about those knights. I'm just curious, is all. I know I've heard about them before, but that was a long time ago."

"Well, I don't know a whole lot myself, but anyone knows that they're the pride and joy of Hyrule. They've fought to protect us and our kingdom for generations, even before the land's different races were unified. And they'd never refuse to help an ally in need, as they didn't when Mayia needed aid. They'd give their lives for this country and its people."

"I see. They're definitely admirable, then."

"Oh, yes. Especially their charming and handsome leader. He's wonderful. I don't actually know him by name yet, though, as he was only promoted to general a few months ago or so. I've only seen him speak a few times, usually when they rode off on training exercises or missions, but I have to admit that I'm already quite taken with him."

With that, Malon's cheeks turned a faint red.

"Heh," Link replied, somehow relieved that he wasn't the object of her affection after all. "Well, I should get going. I'll come back as soon as anything comes up regarding the missing goods, though."

"Okay. Thanks so much, Link."

"No problem. Well, good bye for now. I'll see you later."

With that, Link mounted Epona and departed the ranch, waving good bye to Malon as he passed through the gate.

He was not more than a yard outside when Navi struck again.

"It's probably just as well," she snickered. "We all know who _you_ like."

"Oh, not again!" Link groaned. "Shouldn't we focus on, oh, say, saving the kingdom?"

"You won't have that excuse forever. Sooner or later, you need to tell Zelda how hard you've fallen for her. How about from below her balcony? What about on a little boat on Lake Hylia…when there's actually water in it again?"

"You're crazy. No, strike that, you're insane!"

"And you're stuck on Zelda!"

"I am not!"

"You are too!"

"I am not!"

"You are too!"

"I am not!"

"You are too!"

"I am not!"

"You are too!"

"Am—whoa!"

Link and Navi's bickering was suddenly cut off when Epona abruptly reared to her full height, nearly throwing Link from the saddle. Just as suddenly, she bucked viciously and only a white-knuckle death grip kept Link from hurling all the way into the ranch a second time.

"Whoa! Ouch! I think I twisted something. Easy, girl!"

This went on for several long minutes until Epona finally calmed down. Carefully, wary of riling her up again, Link gently stroked her neck. The mare let out an irate snort but otherwise remained docile.

"Ha!" Navi piped up. "See? Epona even agrees with me! Isn't that—EEEK!"

Navi had been hovering about Epona's nose, ready to hug the mare for her seeming support, when Epona suddenly gnashed her teeth and very nearly swallowed the gloating fairy. Navi darted behind Link's ear, trembling such that it tickled.

"I think Epona doesn't like this talk," Link suggested.

"I think you're right," the terrified Navi agreed.

"Okay, Epona, we can take a hint. Now, can we please go to Zora's River?"

As Epona's temper cooled and Link rode across Hyrule Field, the mysterious inscription and staff from the Fortress of Ice still rang heavily upon his thoughts. He still had no clue what it could possibly mean or how it would help him reach the rest of the dungeon in order to seek out the next jewel and, unfortunately, Ruto. When he approached Zora's River, Link slowed Epona down to a trot and brought her to a halt at the river's edge. He eagerly dismounted the chestnut horse and followed the riverbanks to Zora's Domain. Because he needed to work fast, Link made his way up to the waterfall that always blocked the entrance as quickly as he could. Now that the waterfall was flowing again, Link needed to use the Ocarina of Time and Zelda's Lullaby to gain access to the domain. Once he did so, the flow of the waterfall seemed to part like a curtain being opened and entrance revealed itself. Link leapt across and made his way inside.

With the thoughts of the staff and Ruto still lingering in his head, Link wondered if King Zora really could help him figure out the strange inscription. After all, the staff was obviously ancient, and it was quite likely that the information on it had been lost to the vagaries of time. Still, with no better solution having presented itself, Link could only speak to the Zora King and hope for the best.

"King Zora, I've returned," Link greeted when he climbed up to the dais in the throne room and presented himself to the Zora king.

"Link?" King Zora replied in a surprised tone. "What brings you back here so soon? Did you find my dear, precious Ruto?"

"Well, no, but I'm working on it," Link assured him, a slight nervousness in his tone. "I got inside the Fortress of Ice, but I hit a dead end. There's a large section of it that I can't reach right now."

He then explained what he had seen on the dungeon map and that the second entrance was blocked by ice. King Zora looked rather puzzled by this and asked if Link could show him. Link climbed over to the Zora king's side, pulled out the map of the Fortress of Ice and traced a finger over the area that was blocked off.

"How strange," he commented. "Indeed, much has changed since we were forced to abandon our former home."

"You mean it wasn't always like that?" Link wondered, arching an eyebrow.

"Not exactly."

King Zora then explained that when the Zoras still made their home in what was now the Fortress of Ice, they had built a canal that had served as a passage between the two different regions of the domain, making any area accessible from anywhere else inside. The waterfall that Link had discovered was, in truth, where a section of the canal had been destroyed.

"I see. So there was once a way to get to the other areas from where I was?" Link replied.

"That's right," King Zora confirmed. "The entrance you said was blocked by ice, though, is simply that. A second entrance."

"I see. There's something else I need to ask you about, though. Do you know anything about this staff? I found it in a room that was hidden behind a statue of what I think was an ancient Zora king."

Link then produced the staff from the fortress and held it to King Zora. When the Zora king saw it, his eyes nearly popped out of his head and was astonished by the sight. Even more than that, Link could see clear recognition in the King's eyes. Link was now certain that he knew something.

"Oh, Link…" King Zora began, when he could find his voice. "You found my great-great-grandfather's staff. I had a feeling you would. And, as you may have surmised, that statue you saw was of him as well."

"Really?"

"Oh yes. He was one of the few Zoras in our history to possess superb combat skills. And his staff was an heirloom of our tribe that was passed on to future generations when his time came."

King Zora went on to say that because no Zora after his great-great-grandfather desired to learn to use the weapon, all they did was enshrine it with care and hang it in a hidden room behind the old king's statue. The statue had been sculpted in his honor, as he was often considered the greatest Zora warrior in the history of the tribe.

"Then his daughter inscribed something on a pedestal in the room," King Zora went on. "She foresaw that the staff would be needed again, and left it to guide the next warrior to take up the weapon."

Link's eyebrows instantly rose.

"Oh, I saw that inscription! I have no idea what it means, though I think now the part about the desires of royalty was referring to a desire of your great-great-grandfather."

"Precisely," King Zora verified.

King Zora then went on to explain that the staff was not only a weapon, but was also enchanted to help his people to survive catastrophe. During a terrible winter which struck many centuries ago, the domain had frozen over. Many Zoras who had been trapped under the ice sheet succumbed to the cold and died while others, trapped inside the domain, had starved to death because they could not harvest kelp or catch fish for food. King Zora's great-great-grandfather, knowing that the tribe would not survive many more such winters, wished for the power of fire to be blessed upon the staff so that the domain could be thawed out in case such a crisis happened again. However, it couldn't be carried out during his lifetime and his daughter decided to inscribe the clues on the stone pedestal in the hidden room in hopes someone in the future would fulfill that wish.

"Oh! That pretty much explains it," Link replied. "The courageous one wielding the staff, me, has to bless the power of fire upon it for the old king. The only question is how…"

"My great-great grandfather had done extensive research on that, actually. But, all I know is that you have to go to the Fire Temple," King Zora instructed. "Beyond that, I'm not sure."

"The Fire Temple? That makes sense. But, how was he going to survive in there? And for that matter, what did he have to do in the Fire Temple to enchant the staff?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. I have a partial copy of my ancestor's memoirs, which imply that he had discovered the answers you seek. But, the remainder of the memoirs were lost when the Gerudo forced us from our former home."

"I see. Well, I guess all I can do is go to the Fire Temple and see what I can find. And one more thing. I found this pendant in the fortress as well. Do you know anything about it?"

Link then produced the mysterious pendant around his neck.

"Oh… That doesn't look familiar to me at all, I'm afraid. Still, I hope you find out and I wish you good luck on your quest."

"Oh, thanks anyway. I'll return with Ruto as soon as I can."

With that, Link bid farewell to King Zora and departed the throne room, glad he'd at least found the information needed to continue his search for Ruto. King Zora's information wasn't much to go on, but Link had a thought about what to do nonetheless. Perhaps once he revisited Death Mountain and Goron City in order to get to the Fire Temple, he could ask Darunia for assistance. Although Link doubted that the mighty Goron leader would have any knowledge on the staff at all, he knew that Darunia would likely know much about the Fire Temple. Perhaps he knew where the staff could be enchanted to wield the power of fire?

Link raced past the other Zoras and made his way up to the waterfall entrance again. As he hopped out through the gateway, it occurred to Link that now would be a good time for another of Kelli's lessons and decided to visit her in Kakariko on his way up to the Death Mountain Trail. He also felt it would be best to report his progress to Daphnes as well. The information Link had found was too valuable to keep from the king. He hurried along the banks of Zora's River and immediately raced towards Hyrule Field to rejoin Epona as quickly as possible. After having lost her once, Link was not about to leave her alone again any longer than he had to. He let out a long sigh of relief when he spotted her calmly grazing on some grass right by the river's edge, gathering that she must have been hungry.

After feeding his horse a couple of carrots, Link swung back into the saddle and gently snapped the reins. Epona gave a light snort and began to trot towards the village. He had told Malon that he would go easy on her, and he was going to make good on that promise. Much to his relief, no monsters waylaid Link on his journey and he soon brought Epona to a halt at the village's entrance. As he dismounted and started up the stairs, he deliberated over whether he should tell Kelli what he'd heard from Malon or if he should take the matter up with the king. He decided that it would be best to get the answer from Daphnes. He had no concrete proof of anything untoward regarding Judo's absence and he didn't want to worry Kelli needlessly, which would surely happen if he took his grim hunches to her. As he'd learned the hard way, she could be quite dangerous when she was angered. On the heels of that thought, however, came another. He also found himself wondering if Kelli had seen anymore action since he had last been in Kakariko. It had been a while since the enemy last attempted to strike the village, and Link was worried that their luck would soon run out. As he climbed the stairs, a strange sound reached his ears. At first, it was very faint but, as he climbed further up, it became clearer...sort of. It was a melody of some sort, having no lyrics, but very beautiful. It had a soothing rhythm, much like the fluttering of flower petals on the wind that eased a smile from Link's worn features. As Link listened to the comforting music, he knew there was only one person the voice could belong to. When he approached the well in the center of the village, his guess was confirmed. Kelli herself was sitting upon it, humming her song beautifully. She soon noticed Link and stopped.

"Hey, Link!" Kelli greeted, somewhat surprised. "I saw that you rescued Sunfire! I'm so relieved! Thank you so much! Oh, but what about Epona?"

"You're very welcome," Link replied with a smile. "And yes, I freed them both. Epona is with Sunfire now. By the way, your voice is amazing."

"Oh, that's wonderful. And thanks! I always hum when I get bored. Did you find Ruto already too?"

"I wish I could say yes, but…"

Link then explained everything he had learned in the Fortress of Ice as well as from King Zora.

"I see. That does sound strange," Kelli commented. "I'm afraid I don't know anything about either the staff or that pendant, though. And, I'm drawing a blank on how the ancient Zora King was planning to reach the Fire Temple."

"That's alright. I think I have a lead to go on anyway. So, I came by to talk to you and his majesty. I have new information for him as well, plus I was wondering if you had anymore skills you could teach me."

"Ah, of course. There is one technique I believe you'll be needing soon, but I think we ought to see his majesty first. I gather what you found out is important?"

"Yes. Oh, yes."

"Then let's go. I was going to check on him soon anyway."

Link nodded and with that, he and Kelli headed for the stairs that led up to Impa's house, where Daphnes still resided. It was then that Link remembered that the Hylian king's health was deteriorating due to the stress of the present crisis and concern over his daughter and kingdom. He could only hope that the ailing ruler could hold on until Hyrule was safe again, and that his condition had not worsened. As usual, when Link and Kelli gently opened the door, they found Daphnes in his chair in front of the fire. However, this time, a heavy quilt had been draped over his shoulders. At first, Link thought the aged monarch might have dozed off. He was about to leave when the king stirred and turned to see the two heroes.

"Ah, Link, Kelli…" he greeted, though his voice quivered and was hoarser than it used to be.

"Your majesty, are you alright?" Kelli inquired worriedly as she approached him. "Here, let me feel you."

The king had been about to reply, likely with an objection, but his words were lost amidst a fit of racking coughs. Not giving Daphnes a second chance to decline, Kelli brought a hand to his forehead and gasped as she felt the near scalding heat of his flesh.

"Oh, you're running a fever!" she cried. "That cough could also be a bad sign."

"That's not good," Link added, his eyebrows rising.

"I know… But don't worry too much about me," Daphnes assured. "There are people in worse danger right now."

"True," Kelli agreed.

"And that reminds me, I found out something troubling," Link reported, eyeing Kelli warily. "I paid Lon Lon Ranch a visit on my way here, and Malon told me about the Royal Knights having been ordered to go to Mayia's aid after they had been invaded. I think Mayia was attacked by the same creatures that are terrorizing Hyrule."

"What? Mayia is in danger too? How come I never heard about this?" Kelli inquired.

"I apologize, Kelli," Daphnes replied. "I didn't want to worry you two any further. But, yes, a Mayian messenger was here not too long ago and alerted me to the situation. As I recall, however, theirs isn't nearly as bad as ours. I suspect that we shouldn't have anything to fear regarding their safety. _Ours_, however, I fear is another matter entirely."

"Can't we call the knights back to Hyrule? We could use more help too. Link and I really have our work cut out for us. We've been lucky in gathering the Elemental Jewels and protecting Kakariko so far, but that could change any time now. And, the castle soldiers aren't as seasoned as the knights."

"I fear you are correct. Leaving the kingdom without its best defenders was, admittedly, a grave mistake on my part. If I could call them back, I'd do so at once. But, ever since this crisis erupted, our lines of communication have been cut. No couriers have brought news of the knights for months now, and all those I've sent forth to find them were never heard from again. Now, I cannot spare another man when one less warrior could mean our deaths."

"I understand and agree, but I realized something else when I spoke with Malon," Link continued. "Everybody assumed that the attack on Mayia was a random event, and that it was just coincidental that these new monsters attacked while the knights were away. But, that's not so. The enemy which invaded Mayia must be the same one that's attacking us now; or an accomplice, at least. The attack on Mayia was meant to lure the knights away. I'm sure of it. If Kelli once rescued the kingdom from these creatures, then it makes perfect sense for them to know of Mayia's alliance with Hyrule, and to know we'd come to their aid if they were in such danger."

"Th-That's right!" Kelli gasped fearfully. "Back then, some of Hyrule's knights had been sent to Mayia's aid as well. But, there was little they could do against the monsters. When I stepped in though, everything changed."

"…I fear you are correct," Daphnes admitted. "Our enemies plotted a simple diversion, and I fell for it. I only wish I had seen this coming. Unfortunately, it doesn't change our situation now. Link, I trust that you're making progress?"

"Yeah, but I need more assistance before I can track down Ruto," Link replied and explained once more what he had learned in the Fortress of Ice as well as from King Zora. He also showed both Daphnes and Kelli the staff and pendant.

"Hmm…" Daphnes contemplated. "I do know of the staff's existence, but I'm afraid not even I know how to bestow the power of fire upon it. I agree that going to the Fire Temple is the logical course, but I can offer nothing else. That pendant also looks somewhat familiar, but unfortunately, I can't quite place it. I desperately wish there was more I could do, Link, but I'm afraid there's little I can tell you."

"Don't worry, I'll do my best to figure this out."

"Good. But before you go, I need to speak with you privately. Kelli, please wait outside."

"Understood," Kelli obeyed and then departed the house.

"So, what did you want to say?" Link wondered, though he could not help but feel that he already knew the answer to that question.

"First of all, Link, this conversation must be kept between us, is that clear?" Daphnes warned, his tone brooking no argument despite another fit of coughing.

"Yes, of course."

"Now then, have you heard anything about Judo aside from what you've learned from Kelli and I?"

"No. Also, if I did, I would have told Kel right away. They are close friends, after all. Why do you ask?"

Here, the king let out a long melancholy sigh that quickly turned into yet another coughing fit, and Link could not help but fear the worst.

"Communications with the Royal Knights broke down some time ago with the present crisis," the king began, his voice low and raspy from coughing. "This, you know. What you do not know, and what I wish for you to keep secret, is the subject of the last letter from the Royal Knights that reached me. It was a report of a battle that had taken place in Mayia. It described an attack that had splintered the Royal Knights, leaving them scattered. While most of the knights managed to regroup and drive back the assault, several of them, along with several messengers and a number of Hyrulian citizens who volunteered to aid them as well, are missing and presumed dead. And Judo...he and his mother were amongst those missing. Judo had been at the front while his mother had consented to join the mission as a cook. So in truth, I did know where Judo had gone when he left, but now, I truly do not know where neither he, nor his mother is. Nor even if either of them yet lives."

"I see," Link replied simply, though he was saddened by the news and the likelihood that Judo was gone. "I take it that Kelli doesn't know?"

"I didn't have the heart to tell her," Daphnes admitted.

"I can relate," Link confessed in turn.

"Judo was a fine and dedicated young man. He had achieved much in his life, and he was quite eager to surprise Kelli with his accomplishments when he returned. The notion that he might be lost to us deeply saddens me."

"But it _is_ just a notion? They haven't found a body?"

"I do not know. It has been some time since we've had reliable communications with our knights. Whether Judo has been found, dead or alive, is unknown to me. But, I have seen the enemy's handiwork and, if Judo has fallen into their clutches, I see little hope that he yet lives."

Link was about to protest the king's grim assessment, but reality choked away his words. Though he was loathe to admit it, there was nothing Link could do to disprove what he had heard. And, even if he or Kelli did depart to discover Judo's fate, then whatever evil infested Hyrule would have the kingdom by the throat. Left with nothing else to offer, Link simply laid one hand upon the monarch's shoulder.

"The enemy will pay for this," he vowed. "I swear it."

"I hope you are right," the king replied. "And, as I have said, what has been said must stay between us."

"I see. I promise not to say anything."

"Thank you. That is all."

"Alright. And please get well soon."

With that, Link departed the house and rejoined Kelli, who awaited him at the top of the stairs nearby.

"Well, now that that's taken care of, shall I teach you a new sword technique?" Kelli inquired with a smile.

Kelli's smile, Link suspected, was only a mask to conceal her true anxiety over her friend and, though Link's conscience seethed, he remained silent. Neither he nor Kelli was in a position to do anything about the missing Judo, and telling Kelli what the king had revealed would only make her more upset. Instead, Link simply nodded in reply.

"Sure. But do you think his majesty will be alright?" he inquired.

"…I really wish I had an answer to that," Kelli somberly replied as she led Link down the stairs and towards the well. "The best that we can do for him now, though, is to keep fighting against whatever evil is plaguing Hyrule."

"Right."

"Anyway, this area should do fine."

Kelli halted when they arrived at the well. Link wondered what she had in mind this time around as she turned to face him.

"Now, to show you this technique, I'll need to you stand still and hold your shield over your head," Kelli instructed.

"Uh, okay…" Link agreed, puzzled, and un-slung his shield. He then raised it over his head, with some difficulty, as if to guard against an attack coming from directly above. "Like this?"

"Yeah. Now watch closely."

With that, Kelli then stood atop the rim of the well and drew her sword and shield.

"You're taller than me, so this'll be easier if I give myself a boost," Kelli explained. She then leaped into the air towards Link with her sword raised. While airborne, she flipped forward over Link's head and struck his shield, landing behind him afterwards. Link turned around after slinging his shield across his back, utter shock on his face.

"Whoa! What was that? You could probably slice someone's skull clean in half with that move!"

"That's pretty much the point, actually, if the target isn't wearing a helmet," Kelli replied with a chuckle. "The technique itself is, rather aptly, called the helm splitter. It's handy for taking off a target's helmet or inflicting serious damage to their head, as you just pointed out. And, if this technique doesn't somehow kill the target, you'll end up behind them anyway, thus leaving them thrown off while you can strike them from behind."

"I see. This should come in handy against deadlier foes."

"Indeed. Now try it on me. I'll hold my shield over my head just as you did, just so this doesn't get ugly."

Link nodded and waited for Kelli to raise her shield over her head as he had previously done for her demonstration. He then attempted to repeat the helm splitter exactly as Kelli had shown him. Since she was shorter, he chose not to use the well for elevation and began his performance right away. As soon as Link struck Kelli's shield, he landed safely behind her.

"Yes! That wasn't too difficult. Not for me, anyway."

"That's probably because of the difference in our heights. It would be difficult to pull it off against a taller foe. So, if that happens, look for anything you can stand on to even out the difference."

"Ah, good tip. I'd also imagine it to be tricky to use against something that has a ranged attack since you'd need to get in fairly close."

"That's right. I'll teach you more next time. You should get going if you're to finish what you started at Lake Hylia."

"Yeah, good idea. I'll see you later then!"

Link then waved goodbye to Kelli and headed towards the Death Mountain Trail once again.

Since Link had already cleansed the mountain of the evil that once overwhelmed it, traversing the trail was much less hazardous this time. Very few monsters inhabited the area, the air was clean and fresh, and there were no more dark clouds and bolts of lightning to trigger rock slides. In fact, it almost seemed as if it had never been attacked at all. Link continued up past Dodongo's Cavern, fending off the occasional red Tektite that dared to appear, and chose to practice with his new staff along the way. After quickly examining the staff, Link decided it would be best for him to wield it one-handed, somewhat like a lance, except he wouldn't stab and thrust at his enemies. Link had never used such a weapon before, so he knew that then was the time to teach himself how to best use it. He also changed into his Goron Tunic since he was going inside the crater again. When he finally spotted the large entrance of Goron City minutes later, the hero brought the weapon to rest on one shoulder and entered the city depths to seek out Darunia.

Unlike Link's last visit, Goron City bustled with activity. The recently liberated Gorons were going about their business once again, greeting Link happily as he passed by. After evading several Goron hugs that might've broken him in two, he reached the deepest portion of the city and entered Darunia's room. Inside, Darunia himself stood in front of the large statue which once blocked the secret entrance to the mountain crater. The Goron leader noticed Link's presence almost immediately and smiled.

"Ah, Link!" Darunia greeted. "There you are, Brother. What brings you back here?"

"Hey again. King Zora directed me here, actually," Link replied, unsheathing the staff and showing it to Darunia. "It's about this staff. He said I need to go to the Fire Temple so I can bless it with the power of fire."

Darunia's eyes widened when he saw the staff.

"Hang on, that wouldn't happen to be the staff that belonged to King Zora XI, would it?"

Now it was Link's turn to be surprised.

"Uh…yeah. How'd you know?"

"Ah, you see, he left instructions for my own great-great-grandfather," Darunia explained.

"The same one who defeated Volvagia using the Megaton Hammer?"

"The very one. Unfortunately, the blessing never happened. The scroll containing the instructions mysteriously vanished a day later."

"Huh. Is it still missing?"

"Sadly, yes," Darunia replied. "Both Gorons and Zoras have looked all over for it, but it remains missing to this day. Dirty thieves, I'm guessing. Luckily, I might have just recently discovered a lead for you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, while we were inside the crater clearing away the damage those monsters caused, we discovered that the first few rooms in the Fire Temple had gotten banged up as well, so everyone pitched in to help out there as well as in the crater. While a few of my tribesmen and I were working on the chamber where Volvagia once dwelled, I found a hidden door behind the back wall."

"Go on."

"When I went inside, I found a tiny room that appeared to be much older than the rest of the temple. The walls were rugged and made of only rock, but in front of me, I saw an altar flanked by two unlit torches. I guessed it had something to do with the history of the jewels you're collecting, because the altar had a slot that looked like the Jewel of Fire would fit into it."

"Wow. Then that has to be the place I'm looking for. It just makes too much sense."

"I agree. Just be careful, there's still some debris lying around from the attack. There is simply too much work to do in one day, and I felt that it was time we took a break."

"Got it."

With that, Link entered the Death Mountain Crater. He nearly shook his head when he stepped foot inside. It hadn't been more than a day since he was there last, and already it looked very different from before. The fallen rocks had been cleared away, the pillars that formed the entrance to the Fire Temple were standing again, and the bridges were repaired. There were still some boulders lying in the lava, but anyone could tell that the Goron tribe had put a lot of effort into fixing the place up after Link had driven the evil from the mountain. In a short time, the hero stood before the Fire Temple and entered via the ladder that descended into the fiery heart of the mountain, just above where the Magma Cavern would be.

"Wow, the Gorons really did a good job in here," Navi commented. "It looks almost as if nothing ever happened."

"Yeah. They care a lot about their home," Link agreed.

As with the crater, the temple also looked vastly different than when Link had last been inside. Some of the walls had been rebuilt, small newly carved statuettes of Goron ancestors lined the staircase's railing, and the floor had even been polished. The doors also looked brand new, with not one dent in the shiny metal that replaced the old wooden ones. When Link entered the room where Volvagia once dwelt, he saw that it too had been drastically altered. There was no longer a moat of lava encircling a lone round platform that sat in the center of the room. Instead, the platform extended all the way to the walls and was covered with the same polished marble floor as in the first room. At the opposite end stood the ancient, rusty door Darunia had been referring to. As he had also said, a few piles of rock and debris were scattered about to either side from when the door had been uncovered. Link ignored them and quickly made his way to the old door, eager to see what was behind it.

The inside looked just as Darunia had described it. Both the torches and the altar were there, and upon the altar was the slot where the Jewel of Fire could be placed. Behind this, however, was another, round recession that ran into the altar. Link guessed that that was where the staff was to be placed during the ritual. He then produced both it and the Jewel of Fire, and approached the altar. The jewel soon lit up radiantly, and its flame magic ignited both torches.

"Awesome," Link commented with a smile. He then inserted the jewel into its slot and plunged the staff into the round recession, allowing it to lean against the wall behind it. Suddenly, as if on cue, the flames on the torches flared blindly and the jewel glowed once more, its light growing brighter and more radiant. The glow spread outwards until the staff was enveloped by the crimson light. The staff's dull colors soon became a smooth orange embroidered with shiny gold, rather than the sea green and blue Link had expected, while red flame-shaped orbs burst into existence at either tip. The orbs themselves soon glowed bright orange and burst into flame for a split second, then returned to normal. The flames in the torches suddenly snuffed themselves out while the Jewel of Fire's glow vanished as well.

"Wow…" Link murmured as he eyed the staff and slid it free from the altar. "Now _this_ is cool!"

"Yeah! Test it out, Link!" Navi insisted.

"Definitely!"

With that, Link began to twirl the staff in his hands and sure enough, the orbs burst into a stream of flame, lapping at the air with arcing streams of fire, as if he were one of those performers who twirled batons with ignited tips. When he stopped, the flames became orbs again in the same instant.

"Awesome! Now we can take care of business!" Link exclaimed with delight.

"I'll say! I wouldn't be surprised if this staff's fire could melt the whole fortress!"

"Ditto. Let's get out of here now."

With that, the pair rushed out of the Fire Temple and back to Goron City. Once Link reentered the bustling establishment, he was greeted by Darunia once again.

"Oh, Link! Looks like my find paid off!" he said when he saw the staff.

"It sure did. This staff is incredible now," Link replied.

"I bet. It's now become the Flame Staff, the weapon King Zora XI always dreamed of creating. He would be proud of you, Brother."

"I can imagine. I'm in a hurry though, so I'm afraid I'll have to get going. Farewell!"

Darunia merely waved as Link continued back to the top floor and out of Goron City. He definitely needed to show Kelli the staff again, as not only would she likely be impressed as well, she would probably also believe Link would be a stronger fighter with it. The hero excitedly raced down Death Mountain, eager to use his new Flame Staff to teach the icy inhabitants of the Fortress of Ice a lesson they would not soon forget.


	15. The Fortress of Ice: Part 2

Chapter 15: The Fortress of Ice – Part 2

Link eagerly raced back down the Death Mountain Trail, reluctantly suppressing the urge to try out the Flame Staff on every Tektite along the way. He didn't even bother fighting the sparse monsters, as he knew he shouldn't waste the staff's energy or delay his return to Lake Hylia for too long. He also knew, however, that Kelli would surely be impressed with this new weapon. Although Link would not readily admit it, his pride was still bruised by how easily Kelli had disarmed him when they first returned to Hyrule and he was eager to even the score. When Link reentered Kakariko, he immediately sought out the young Sky Guardian. Thankfully, he didn't have to go hunting for her; she was waiting for him in front of the well, just as before. And, Kelli was again humming her song.

"Hey, Kel! Sorry for interrupting, but you've got to check this out!" Link blurted excitedly when he approached her.

"Oh! Link, it's quite alright," Kelli replied with a smile, which turned into an expression of slack jawed shock as she noticed the Flame Staff in Link's left hand. "…Wow! Is that the same staff from before?"

"Sure is! I found out what I had to do to give it the power of fire," Link confirmed, holding the staff before him. "Well, it was really Darunia who found it, as he gave me directions…mostly. I had to figure out the rest once I got to the right place."

"I see. I think it looks pretty cool! In fact, I might want to borrow it sometime."

A sly look crossed Link's face and he jerked the staff out of Kelli's reach.

"I think not," he replied teasingly.

"What?" Kelli blurted, looking confused and more than a bit affronted. "Oh, come on! I can't even remember the last time I saw such an amazing weapon!"

"Well, I'm doing a lot of the legwork in this quest. I think I should get the staff."

"And I think I'll start telling everybody about how I disarmed you in three seconds flat."

"…You make a good point. Okay, I need it right now, obviously. But in the future, I might let you try it out too."

"Ah, thanks so much! You should get going now, though. Every minute you waste is sure to make Ruto angrier with you. Hee hee."

Link groaned under his breath. When he heard both Kelli and Navi snickering at him, he groaned audibly.

"…I'll get you back for this, Kel," he warned. "You too, Navi."

"Heh, sorry," Kelli apologized, though Navi was still snickering. "It is true, though."

"Yeah, I know. Well, I'll see you around."

"Alrighty then!"

With that, Link turned towards the stairs leading to Hyrule Field. Before he could take more than a few steps, however, a familiar feminine voice filled the air.

"Wait," the voice rang out. Link and Kelli turned to find the Fairy of Winds hovering before them.

"The Fairy of Winds…" Kelli uttered, with more than a hint of reverence.

"Yes," the Fairy of Winds replied. "Link, Kelli, I have come to aid both of you in your quest. I've realized that the travails you will face in the future will be even more difficult than I had originally anticipated."

"Really? We guessed things would get harder, but…" Link trailed off.

"Indeed, that much is obvious. But the monsters that now terrorize this land are growing stronger and more intelligent every day. Whatever evil force is now augmenting the powers of the monsters seems to be hard at work correcting the flaws in these first experiments and concocting new ones as well. A force of these monsters discovered me recently, and I only narrowly escaped capture. If these monsters have grown powerful enough to threaten me, then the danger you face is no less. Because of this, I knew you would need some of my power to combat these creatures."

"But we already have the Jewel of Wind," Kelli pointed out.

"That is true, but you will need even more of the strength of the winds," the Fairy of Winds explained. She then held out her hands and opened her palms. Within seconds, her magic had conjured up two pairs of brown boots, one pair in each hand. Both pairs sported white, feathered wings on the ankles. The pair in the fairy's right hand was a set of heeled boots, obviously meant for Kelli.

"These are special boots known as the Pegasus Boots," the Fairy of Winds explained. "They will allow you to run faster than even the winds. You will even be able to run fast enough to dash over the surface of water. I have no doubt that you both will need such a power."

"Wow…" Link commented as he took his pair. "Thanks a lot."

"Indeed," Kelli added when she received hers. "We'll use them well."

"You are welcome. I believe now that it's my duty to guide you both as best as I am able. When I have new information, I will seek you out and inform you of my discoveries. May the winds of fortune blow with you."

With that, the Fairy of Winds vanished into thin air.

"Well, I'm glad she showed up when she did," Link commented moments later. "There's a lot of water and ice where I'm going. I probably will need these."

"Yeah, and it doesn't hurt for me to have a pair either, just in case," Kelli added. "Now go on, or Ruto's going to have your head, I'll bet."

"Very funny. See you later."

Kelli merely giggled once more at Link's imminent misfortune as he stomped off towards Hyrule Field. _This is seriously getting old_, he thought in annoyance.

Upon arriving in the field again, Link jumped back on Epona and spurred her to a gallop towards Lake Hylia to finally find Ruto. He did so with considerable reluctance, as his memories of Ruto were far from pleasant. But, he decided that he didn't want the obsessed and mildly delusional Zora princess to give him an earful for taking so long, as Kelli had surmised. The thoughts of when Ruto first became flirtatious with him after he rescued her from Jabu-Jabu's belly, _after_ she had treated him like dirt and made him carry her the whole way, and then again in the Water Temple, where she remained quite eager to marry him, only annoyed him further. Still, she was, for some unfathomable reason, one of the seven Sages. That meant she was imprisoned within an elemental jewel, likely the Jewel of Water, and that leaving her in there, tempting though it was, would not help Hyrule.

Still, since the Fortress of Ice was just that, a fortress covered in sheets of ice and freezing water, Link began to wonder if the Jewel of Ice was hidden somewhere there as well. He soon dropped the idea, however, when he remembered that each dungeon he'd gone through so far, including the small one where the Jewel of Wind had rested, had contained only one jewel. Besides that, it would be a foolhardy mistake for the monsters to leave any of the jewels together, as doing so would only make it that much easier for Link and Kelli to recover them all. And clearly, these monsters were not so foolish.

As Link passed through the smashed fences and entered Lake Hylia once more, he jerked on the reins to bring Epona to a halt at the lake's edge. The mare was more than a little skittish at being so close to the site of her earlier imprisonment, but she remained as brave and committed to the quest as Link himself was. He stroked her mane and long head reassuringly and then looked upon the dry crater that used to be Lake Hylia with a melancholy sigh. Link had, briefly, hoped that the restoration of the Zora's waterfall might help the lake's condition, but a part of him had known better. King Zora, Link was certain, could only be getting worse with the lake in this state and Ruto still missing. Link could only hold the Zora King could hold on until a solution could be found. The elemental jewel in the Fortress of Ice was the key, Link was certain of that. Perhaps, with the Flame Staff, he had a way to reach it.

Just as Link dismounted Epona by the Lakeside Laboratory again, however, he spotted four figures down near the Water Temple. He clambered down to the dry lakebed to investigate. As he drew closer to the strange figures, he realized that they were two Stalfos and two Lizalfos. Link was about to draw his blade when he noticed that the Stalfos weren't paying attention to him at all. In fact, it looked more like they were focused on the Lizalfos. What's more, the lizard-like monsters themselves looked different than usual. Instead of being fearsome green bipedal lizard warriors, these two Lizalfos were a teal blue color, carried no weapons, and appeared to be terrified. As the Stalfos began closing in on them, Link realized both had navy eyes and quietly produced his bow. He then launched a few Sun Arrows which, of course, killed them quickly.

Afterwards, Link approached the strange Lizalfos, hoping to figure out what exactly was going on. When the two finally took note of the hero's appearance, however, they jumped away and backed against the wall of the temple.

"Stop! Get away!" one Lizalfos demanded.

For a moment, Link just stared in astonishment. The Lizalfos could talk too? Just who, or _what,_ were these creatures?

"What? Wait, I'm no enemy," Link soon replied.

"We don't believe you! Just go away!" the other Lizalfos demanded fearfully.

"Now wait a minute. I just want to know—"

"WE SAID GO AWAY!"

With that, the Lizalfos bolted in opposite directions, racing across the lakebed and out of sight. Link merely scratched the back of his head in confusion as he watched the strange creatures vanish in the distance, wondering why they were different from others of their kind. Unable to explain it, and determined not to waste any more time on idle speculation, he was about to continue to the rest of the Fortress of Ice. He jerked to a halt, however, when he noticed a pitchfork and shovel lying on the ground where the Stalfos had been.

"Hey, these are some of the missing ranch tools," Link realized as he picked them up. "How'd they get here? And those Lizalfos. What was that all about?"

"Who knows…" Navi replied. "That _was_ weird, though. Something is definitely different about those Lizalfos. I didn't sense any evil from them at all."

"Really? Strange. We'll have to investigate this later, though. We've got over half a dungeon to get through right now, and I'm pretty sure this isn't all of Talon's missing inventory."

"True."

With that, Link made his way over to the sheet of ice he'd discovered earlier which blocked the way into the rest of the dungeon. He un-slung the Flame Staff and, with a single twirl, spheres of flame crackled to life at each end. Link then snapped the staff in an overhead swing that launched three fireballs into the ice. The ice completely melted, revealing a second entrance to the Fortress of Ice behind it…and a small bucket. Curiously, Link snatched it from the ground. An experimental whiff told him that it had once contained the Lon Lon Ranch's famous milk. Link glanced at the list Talon gave him, and sure enough, the bucket, shovel, and pitchfork were all on the list. Link stuffed them in the onion scented bag, grimly suspecting that the rest could be just about anywhere. He then walked into the cavernous entrance, knowing now he'd surely find Ruto and the next Elemental Jewel…and still uncertain whether or not that was a good thing.

"Well, back into the f-frozen fortress we go…" Link uttered through chattering teeth, clearly not liking the idea.

The first room which Link entered was much different than the ones he had previously explored. It was much larger and, judging by its central location on the map, likely served as the town center when the Zoras had lived here. Though, its location was the only thing about it that still resembled a town center; for the cavern itself had changed just as much as the rest of the fortress. As before, the air was very cold, and sheets of ice encrusted the floor and walls. Covering most of the room was a large, frozen body of water, with a frozen waterfall descending into it. Several Ice Keese made their home in the room. There was a lone door across the ice on an elevated platform, just low enough for Link to climb. He found it rather unusual that there weren't more doors leading out of this chamber, especially considering the number of rooms in this section of the Fortress of Ice. A glance at the map showed that there were, indeed, several doors leading out of the central chamber, but Link couldn't see any of them. After a moment, he realized there was only one place those doors could be: below the ice. Link glanced at the ice sheet dubiously, wondering if the Flame Staff might be powerful enough to melt all of it. Link drew his sword and took an experimental thrust at the ice. The sword rebounded off of the ice, barely scraping it, and the echo that came back to him was very dull and very, _very_ solid. Nursing a sore wrist and shoulder, Link realized that the lake was frozen through and through and that melting it with the Flame Staff could take hours. Frustrated, Link decided he had no choice but to go through the door ahead.

As he struggled to keep his footing on the slippery ice while avoiding the fluttering Ice Keese, Link made his way to the elevated platform and climbed on top of it. He entered the icy blue door in front of him and proceeded to the next room. No more than five paces ahead, another sheet of ice spanned the floor, dividing the room in half. To Link's eye, it almost looked like a river of ice flowing into the frozen lake in the previous room. There were two more doors in the room besides the one Link had come through. The first was straight ahead and readily accessible. The other was to the left of the first and was sealed with a lock and chains. Suspecting that some means of thawing out the ice in the central chamber might be nearby, Link started with the open door. However, just before he reached it, a set of bars came crashing down in front of it, sealing it shut. Halting in his tracks, Link whirled to find an Armosaur standing before him with glaring golden eyes. It wielded a lance and its torso and waist were stoutly armored. Contemplating how he could put Kelli's techniques to good use again, he first attempted a shield attack first to throw the creature off balance. However, the Armosaur saw it coming and sidestepped the maneuver. It then swept the shaft of its lance at Link in a wide arc, forcing him to bend over backwards to dodge it.

_I always did hate doing the limbo,_ Link mused, sensing what was to come.

Sure enough, Link's heavy shield and sword threw off his balance, and the hero toppled over backwards onto the floor. He landed hard on his shield arm and the pain caused the fingers of his sword hand to spring open. The Armosaur, seeing its sudden advantage, kicked the sword away from Link. 

The Armosaur, confident that it could now finish Link off, drew back its lance to strike the final blow. Link, in desperation, brought up his Flame Staff to try and fling a fireball at the Armosaur, but he barely had the staff in hand when the armored saurian's lance struck and bit deep into the staff. The Armosaur snarled and gave a sharp tug to draw back his lance. Much to Link's surprise, and the Armosaur's as well, the lance would not come free. Link then remembered the hallows in the staff, which had once presumably held pearls. The tip of the Armosaur's lance had become lodged in one of those hallows. Thinking quickly, Link grasped the staff with both hands and began to furiously wrench it from side to side. As the Armosaur had better leverage, Link had little chance of prying the lance from his foe's hand, but that was alright.

He wasn't planning to.

As the lethal tug-o-war continued, Link quickly drew up one leg and thrust his heel into the Armosaur's knee. Knocked off balance, the Armosaur toppled…and nearly crushed the hero on its way down. Link, rolling out of the way, regained his footing and struck the Armosaur's tail with the blazing tip of the Flame Staff. Covering his ears to a loud roar of pain, Link leaped backwards, his ears throbbing with the overpowering echoes, and hoping he could take care of the beast before it caused him to go deaf. He then tried landing a jump attack with the burning Flame Staff, but instead of taking a major blow, the Armosaur backed out of the range of Link's weapon. It then struck Link in the gut with the pommel of its lance as he began to rise to his feet.

"AUGH!" Link yelped nearly as loudly as the Armosaur had roared. He slowly fell to the floor, clutching his diaphragm, and began coughing from the blow, barely able to breathe. That didn't stop him, however, from driving his feet into the Armosaur's chest and sending it hurling to the floor as well. Link then quickly rolled out of the way, snatched up his sword, and scrambled to his feet. He rushed to the creature's exposed back side after and finished it off. The Armosaur's death then caused the bars on the next door to rise.

"Ugh… That was the w-worst place to be hit," Link groaned as he went to the door, still clutching his gut with one hand. He coughed a bit more along the way.

"A-Are you going to be alright?" Navi inquired, either stammering from worry or from the cold, or both, as Link sluggishly opened the door and entered the next room.

"Yeah, don't worry," Link assured, though his voice was hoarse with pain. "I can b-breathe again now."

Inside this room, a frozen canal curved into an L shape and ended in an underwater tunnel which led, judging by the map, back to the central chamber. Another frozen waterfall rose ceiling-ward at the opposite end. Next to the canal, along the wall which separated this room from the main chamber, was a small staircase. Curiously, there didn't seem to be anything at the top except a blank section of wall. There was no door or passage. Or…was there?

"Okay… That staircase has to be there f-for a reason," Link surmised. "N-Nobody just builds stairs without th-there being something important at the e-end of them."

"Yeah, but w-what could this one be for? I j-just see an ordinary wall," Navi pointed out.

"Well, according to the m-map, there should be a door behind that w-waterfall," Link noticed after scrutinizing the map again. "B-but, the ice goes all the w-way back to the w-wall. We can't get b-behind it to reach the d-door."

"It would take forever f-for the Flame Staff to m-melt that waterfall. And I doubt w-whatever's in there will help anyway. I-If you remember, the puzzles in every dungeon ch-chamber almost always affect only that chamber."

"That's true. Hmm…"

Link continued to look around the room, hoping to find some possible hint of what he was supposed to do. When his eyes strayed to the ceiling, however, the answer was staring right back at him. A chunk of ice encased what appeared to be a large pulley switch hanging from the ceiling.

"Hey! Look up there!" Link exclaimed and pointed to the switch.

"Whoa! H-How did we ever miss that?" Navi wondered confusedly.

"I have no idea. But time to see w-what that thing does!" Link replied and gave the Flame Staff a twirl.

"Uh, Link—" Navi began, but got cut off when Link fired a blast of flames right at the ice. As it melted, however, it triggered a veritable deluge which poured down on top of the green-clad hero, soaking him from head to toe.

"Aaah! Dang it! I'm such an idiot!" he opined as Navi fell to the floor in laughter. Link shot her a glare as he wrung out his tunic again and mumbled something under his breath about Zelda.

"What, afraid of Zelda finding you too c-clumsy to be the perfect boyfriend?" Navi taunted as she flew upward to sit atop the switch's handle. At this, Link tried hard to prevent Navi from seeing his cheeks turn pink, but likely failed.

"Not everything's about Z-Zelda, you know!" he retorted.

"Whatever you say… Y-You're just lucky she wouldn't believe me if I t-told her Malon nearly kissed you and th-that you're _so_ interested in impressing Kelli."

"Errgh… _You're_ lucky I can't r-reach you up there! …Oh wait, I can!"

Link then immediately whipped out the Grappleshot and aimed it right at Navi.

"Eep!" Navi cried and darted out of the way as the claw latched onto the handle of the pulley switch. Link then launched himself towards it, grasped the handle and hung there until he could feel the switch descend and activate the mechanism. Within moments, a section of the wall next to the small staircase rose, revealing a giant blue crystal the size of a Goron. It sat atop a curious pedestal made out of metal with numerous legs that seemed to stretch underground. An odd gleam shone from the legs and, when Link examined them more closely, he discovered that they were pipes of some sort. A small platform sat behind the crystal. The section of wall that was above the staircase had also opened to reveal a hidden passage back to the main chamber.

"Wow," Link commented as he dropped back down to the floor. "I h-highly doubt the Zoras know about th-this."

"Yeah. But w-what's that crystal for?" Navi wondered.

"I dunno. I'll take a look at it."

With that, Link approached the small platform and climbed atop it. A quick glance around revealed that an inscription was etched in the wall beside the crystal and that a small recess had been carved into the crystal itself.

"What's this…?" Link uttered as he began reading the inscription.

_The union of the Flame and the Sky in the East will drive away the chill of the Ice. But, when Flame and Sky part company in the West, the Ice will return._

"Ha, I get it now!" Link realized, glancing at the recess in the crystal. "I bet if I p-put the Flame Staff in that hole and shoot fire into the c-crystal, then the ice will melt!"

"Yeah, and t-there must also be some w-way to make water f-freeze again!" Navi added.

"Yeah, that h-has to be w-what the inscription m-means about the Ice r-returning. In order to clear this place, we need to m-melt and f-freeze the ice to r-reach the r-rest of the d-dungeon."

"That's correct," a familiar voice confirmed, emanating seemingly from nowhere. After a few moments, the Fairy of Winds shimmered into existence before Link once again.

"Ah, hello again," Link greeted with a smile.

"Greetings to you as well, Link," the Fairy of Winds replied, returning the gesture. "This crystal… My sister, the Fairy of Skies, created it centuries ago."

"Really?"

"Indeed. Like your Flame Staff, the Sky Crystal is also a magical device that was empowered by one of the nine Elemental Jewels. In this case, the Jewel of Sky. The Fairy of Skies created this crystal to help control temperatures in any area when necessary. However, to prevent it from being misused, its power can only be triggered by one with the ability to manipulate fire. And, not many individuals possessed such a power. Yet, from our surroundings, it would seem the monsters have found some means to control it themselves. What's more, this pipe system is of recent construction…as my kind would define 'recent,' that is. Most likely, they found the Sky Crystal and used it to freeze this place. This pipe system was likely built to ensure that the crystal could affect the entire Fortress."

"Yeah. Rather c-clever, admittedly. And both D-Dinolfos and Armosaurs can breathe f-fire. I d-didn't think they were s-smart enough to build these p-pipes though."

"Indeed. Thankfully, however, it appears that they do not know of the crystal's other purpose."

"That it can also melt the ice."

"Exactly. Link, as you've probably guessed, you'll need to use the crystal to find the Elemental Jewel that lies here. I must insist, however, that its location be kept a secret afterward so that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands again. But you must also proceed cautiously. Some monsters are more powerful in frozen climates than in warmer ones."

"I see. And don't worry, the secret is safe with Kelli and I."

"Thank you. And good luck."

With that, the Fairy of Winds vanished once more. Link then brought up the Flame Staff and held it up over the crystal's recess. After double checking the inscription, Link decided that the "East" must mean that the staff should be rotated to the right to melt the ice. After he had done so, he summoned another fireball and the crystal was engulfed with flame. The crystal began to glow a ruby red until the crystal itself changed to the same color. At the same time, the ice in the canal quickly began to melt until it became water and the room became warmer; so much so, that clouds of steam began to form. The waterfall now flowed again, allowing Link to pass under it and proceed to the door behind it. The frozen lake in the central chamber also melted, granting the hero access to the passages below the surface.

"I feel so much better now that it's warmer in here," Link commented, exercising his numb fingers. "I swear, it feels like the Termina tropics in here now. We just need to return here whenever we have to freeze the water again, and that'll be simple since we have easy access to this room thanks to the hidden passageway. And, if we get too cold, we can warm up for a bit using the crystal. Hehe."

"Let's not waste _too_ much time trying to keep warm, though. You still have a crazy fish woman waiting for you," Navi reminded him, somehow managing to keep from bursting into laughter.

"Ugh… I forgot about that," Link admitted, displeased at the reminder. "Well, I guess we'd better get a move on. Sigh…"

With that, Link continued his trek through the Fortress of Ice, starting with the door behind the waterfall. Now that the dungeon was warmer, it meant that the Ice Keese, Freezards, White Wolfos and other enemies that dwelled in frigid environments would be weakened, or might even be forced to flee the dungeon altogether. However, it also meant that encountering other foes, like normal Keese and Wolfos, was now possible. What's more, even though the ice in the dungeon was now melted, the water was still quite cold, and Link would have to swim through the underwater passages in order to reach some of the remaining rooms. Thankfully, the swim allowed him to obtain the compass along the way, as well as the key needed for the door he had encountered earlier. Though he was not looking forward to re-freezing the water after a swim through one of the underwater passages, Link returned to the Sky Crystal room to return the crystal to its original state. After inserting the Flame Staff into the crystal and turning it to the left, the Zoras' former home once again became the Fortress of Ice.

Link spent the next few hours searching as many of the other rooms as he could. The Pegasus Boots, as the Fairy of the Winds had claimed, had allowed him to run across the surface of the water and also helped when he had to close the distance rapidly with the enemy. Eventually, after melting and freezing the water several times over and exploring areas newly revealed by the Fortress' changing geography, Link noticed the compass indicated one last treasure chest marker on the map. It was located in a tiny room behind a large, circular chamber. Link, since he was a seasoned dungeon explorer, knew all too well what this familiar scenario meant. Another major battle was approaching, but against a lesser master of the dungeon who was undoubtedly guarding the boss key. The dungeons Link had gone through in the past usually only had one such battle, but on a few rare occasions, the hero found himself faced with two. And the way things had turned out in Lake Hylia so far, Link's opponent could very well be another altered monster like the blue Lizalfos from before or even the one responsible for stealing the horses. Whatever the case, Link suspected that this fight would be challenging and decided to prepare by practicing the techniques he'd learned from Kelli once more.

As he made his way towards the circular room, Link scanned the map one last time. The boss's chamber was below this area of the dungeon. He'd have to find a way to get down there once his latest adversary was taken care of. When he approached the door of the large chamber, Link took a deep breath, hoping he'd trained enough for the battle ahead. He then entered, ready to draw his blade or un-sling the Flame Staff, whichever he would need. Since Link had melted the ice in the dungeon the last time he visited the Sky Crystal, he found himself standing in a pool of warm, shallow water which covered the entire floor and spanned from one wall to the other. There appeared to be nothing else in the room aside from a light mist in the air and a large, ornate chair sitting on a cliff overlooking the strange room. Link paused in the doorway for a long moment, suddenly tense and wary.

He'd been in a chamber very much like this one before…and he'd been lucky to get out alive.

During Link's visit to the Water Temple in the dark future, he'd entered a room much like this one and was faced with himself…sort of. Dark Link, as he'd come to call his doppelganger, was one of the deadliest enemies which Link had ever faced. Dark Link knew every move that Link himself would make, usually before Link had made it. If Link hadn't obtained the Din's Fire spell or Biggoron's Sword, he likely would have lost the battle. Fearing that this room's resemblance to Dark Link's chamber might be more than coincidence, he entered cautiously, in case his enemy planned to ambush him. He scrutinized the room with unblinking eyes, anxiously waiting for his opponent to appear. His foe was quick to oblige.

"Well, well…" a feminine voice, which was terribly familiar, soon spoke up. "What have we here?"

Link halted in his tracks, his eyes wide and his blood running cold. For a stretching second, he couldn't bring himself to look in the direction of the voice. It sounded exactly like Kelli's, only it was cockier and also had a hard edge and a sultry undertone to it. Grimly, hoping his weary mind might be playing tricks on him, his gaze found the ornate chair. When he saw its occupant, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Lounging in the chair, her legs flung over one armrest and her head dangling over the other with deceptive carelessness was a woman whose skin and attire was colored a grim gray and ebony, with the exception of her glowing golden eyes. A devious grin crossed the features of her upside-down face. What was most startling, however, was that she looked exactly like Kelli, aside from her color, her tone of voice and a strange aroma about her that tasted like…corruption. She even carried her own versions of the heroine's sword and shield, only these were ebony and ivory in color and her sword peeked over the right shoulder rather than the left. The sight of this apparition caused Link to suddenly and grimly recall his earlier supposition that Judo might have turned to evil. Could he have been right, and Kelli had somehow been corrupted as well? Or, was this an evil counterpart to Kelli, like Dark Link? The latter seemed more likely, if only because Link could not truly believe that Kelli, or Judo for that matter, could be turned evil. But somehow, this corrupted version of Kelli seemed different from Link's dark doppelganger.

"I set my little trap to catch my counterpart, and lo! I get a dashingly handsome young man instead," the mirrored Kelli continued, drawing in her legs and jumping off of the chair all in the same motion. Link then realized, with smothered dismay, that the chair she had vacated must've been the ancient Zora throne. Though Link didn't have a chance to look, he didn't doubt for a moment that this dark warrior had defaced it somehow.

"…What are you talking about? Who are you?" Link demanded, drawing his sword and shield.

"Ah, how rude of me," the mirrored Kelli replied sarcastically. "I am but a…dark mirror, I guess you could say, of the girl you call Kelli. When he created me, my master named me Dark Kelli. It was only appropriate, after all. But, I always did talk too much. Might I have the pleasure of knowing your name, handsome?"

"Great, one Kelli was bad enough…" Navi uttered in annoyance.

"Shut it," Link retorted and then turned his attention back to Dark Kelli. "I see. And sure, I'll tell you who I am. But first, I want to know what you mean by a trap."

"Oh, very well," Dark Kelli agreed, though once again, her tone was cocky. "Remember when your precious horses disappeared?"

"…That was you!" Link realized. "You sent those monsters and left those notes for us!"

"Very perceptive! I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to fight anyone except Kelli here. But I'm glad you came instead."

"Oh really?"

Dark Kelli then strode towards Link, her gait becoming a strut that allowed a clear impression of her supple legs, while her hands tracing the hard curves of her breasts and posterior.

"Indeed. You know, you look tough. I could use a nice, strong man like you. I'd make an excellent partner…and not just on the battlefield."

By this time, Dark Kelli was only a hairsbreadth away from Link and had leaned into him. Her breasts ground against his toned chest, her breath tickled his ear and her fingernails scraped over his skin in a fashion that, coming from anybody else, would've caused Link to revert to the shy ten-year-old he'd been when he first started adventuring. Keeping a grimace from his features, he drew back from her and tried, without much success, to look indifferent to her loathsome advances.

"Heh," Link scoffed. "Sorry, but I don't think a Guardian of the Moon is quite your type."

Dark Kelli had been about to press her case, possibly by pressing her knee and hip between Link's legs, but the hero's words brought her advances, and her blithe confidence, to a sudden end.

"…What?" she blurted, but then tried to sound unperturbed. "What is this nonsense? You don't even carry the Moon Sword."

"Not yet. But I will. Of this, I assure you."

"Hmph. Whether or not you speak the truth, no one will find that wretched sword. It has remained buried and forgotten for centuries and it will stay that way. And, so long as it sleeps, my master's plan will succeed at last! It's too bad you're not interested, my master gave me free reign to pick a…warm body to celebrate with, and yours is the best I've seen in a while."

"I'd sooner sleep with a Torch Slug. And just who is your master, exactly?"

"You'll regret that…in more ways than one. As for who my master is, oh, you'll find out soon enough. Hehe… Soon enough indeed. That is…if you can best me!"

As Dark Kelli finished her sentence, her coy voice turned into a feral growl and she tore her blade free of its sheath. Link gaped as Dark Kelli charged towards him in a blur of speed. He brought up his blade as fast as he could, though only barely managed to deflect Dark Kelli's blow. Rather than withdraw her blade, however, she bore down on Link's defenses. And, she was _much_ stronger than she appeared. In moments, she had forced Link nearly to his knees. Either Dark Kelli suspected that Link had been telling the truth about being a Sky Guardian or she was just that powerful…or maybe both. Either way, Link had to defeat her, somehow.

"You know… I know every one of Kelli's sword techniques," Dark Kelli spoke up as their blades remained grinding against one another. "And so much more!"

Link braced himself, finally bringing Dark Kelli's encroaching blade to a halt. He was he realized, very lucky that he'd managed to build up his own strength over the years thanks to how much he had trained and traveled. Otherwise, Dark Kelli would have run him through by now. However, what she said greatly concerned him. Apparently, not only did she know Kelli's skills, but she was even faster, stronger, and probably more agile than the real Kelli as well. This meant he had to find a way around Kelli's entire fighting style, which would surely be very difficult. Before he could begin contemplating this, however, Dark Kelli pulled away from him and spun into a wheel kick. Her foot smashed into his chest with the force of a battering ram. The blow sent Link hurtling across the room.

"AUGH!" he yelped as he crashed to the wall and fell to the floor.

Dark Kelli had made it painfully obvious, figuratively and literally, that she knew more than just swordplay. Link rose to his feet, and realized that he had to improvise, and quick. Link soon noticed that oddly enough, Dark Kelli had not un-slung her shield. Link knew that Kelli could not use her shield very effectively. Could her doppelganger share that weakness? Or, was this just the same blithe confidence she'd shown earlier when she tried to get under his tunic? Link could not be certain, but he figured he would have to take a chance that he'd found a weakness in this powerful enemy. When Dark Kelli charged towards him again, Link angled his sword once more to meet her blade, but did not push against her this time. Instead, he pulled his sword back, allowing her to lean in again, and then he thrust his shield at her to throw her off balance. In the split second while she was flailing, he swept his sword across her torso, drawing a foul smelling mist from it. As Link had suspected, a single blow like that didn't defeat her. She merely studied her wound and grinned.

"Hehe, not bad, handsome. I see Kelli has taught you a thing or two," she commented. "But, I was merely testing you. Now comes the real fight!"

"Bring it on," Link challenged.

With that, Dark Kelli finally un-slung her shield, which Link had not expected. She really _had_ only been testing him before, and what had seemed to be her weakness had only been a ruse. Still, that didn't mean she could use her shield as well as Link could use his. Unfortunately, this hardly mattered. Link was overwhelmed by Dark Kelli's speed and agility. He could barely find any opportunities to strike and, those opportunities which presented themselves were often gone before he could act upon them. Her blade was everywhere, whirling in attack and defense until it became an ebon blur of deadly steel. She even used some of Kelli's advanced sword techniques once in awhile, such as the back slice and shield attack. Though Link did not yet know _every_ skill Kelli had, he used those he did know just as well. Still, he was at a disadvantage against Kelli's evil counterpart, as she could use techniques he had never seen before, including what looked like a more powerful version of Link's own spin attack.

Eventually, after Link finally managed to deal Dark Kelli several blows. She noted a slash in her tunic which nearly caused it to fall right off of her and gave Link a fiendish grin before she renewed her assault.

"You know, all you had to do was ask nicely," she teased, allowing her torn tunic to slip a few inches. 

Not bothering to hear Link's retort, she began using still more maneuvers that took Link by surprise. She would back flip to escape his blade and use her kicks to throw him off balance. Link, however, was the worst off of the two combatants. One unlucky blow had cloven deep into his stomach and he was beginning to grow exhausted. For some reason, he also began to feel warmer than usual, but chose to ignore it. Suddenly, Dark Kelli had sent him to the floor once again with one of her flying kicks, and this time, Link could barely stagger to his feet. By the time he faced Dark Kelli once more, she was holding her sword skyward.

"Guess what? There's one thing I can do which my counterpart cannot!" she said with a devious grin. Her sword soon crackled with power and it glowed fiercely. Before Link could react, she swung her sword in his direction. Some of the sword's energy leapt free, forming a beam of light streaking right towards Link. It came so fast that he had no chance to block or evade it. It struck him directly in the chest and sent him flying into the wall behind him once more. He fell his full height to the floor, barely moving and in deep pain. Before Link could stand up this time, however, Dark Kelli was leaping towards him with her sword angled downward for the kill. Link's eyes widened as he realized that she was attempting to finish him with an ending blow. In frozen horror, too battered to get up and too exhausted to fight, he stared helplessly as his end descended upon him.

_He's been gone too long._

Kelli had been wiling away the hours near Impa's house in Kakariko. She'd had a lot on her mind before, but now she worried even more. Link was taking an awfully long time in Lake Hylia and, try though she did tell herself that Link was surely fine, Kelli feared for his safety nonetheless. In fact, with Judo missing, Daphnes's health deteriorating every day, and the sun and moon aligned monsters growing stronger, it seemed that everywhere she looked, things were getting worse. Her heart ached with worry and despair more and more until she came close to breaking into tears, even while she trained. And, her tears often gave way to a near panic of second-guessing. Maybe she should have taught Link the rest of her sword techniques before he went back to Lake Hylia? And unfortunately, it could very well be too late now. Kelli's thoughts were soon interrupted, however, when Vira came fluttering by.

"Kel, really, all this worrying isn't going to do anything," she said, her tone breaking no argument. "You taught me as much yourself years ago."

"I know, but I'd never faced these kinds of troubles before, not even in Mayia," Kelli replied. "I've been feeling so afraid lately. In Mayia, I felt brave and confident because every monster I went up against fell to my blade easily. But now, I'm afraid that even if Link and I win this battle, we may still lose the war. What's happening to the people seems overwhelming and hopeless. And, I'm afraid that these monsters will become too strong for even Link or I to handle."

"I understand. But, all we can do is hope for the best. You taught me that too. I was always glad I became your fairy partner because of what I learned from you. I'm definitely not the bravest fairy out there, but it doesn't mean I can't have faith in you or Link or anyone else for that matter. You may not have thought so, but things looked bleak in Mayia from time to time, at least, they did to me, and I probably wouldn't have stayed if you hadn't."

"That's true. Thanks, Vira. I know I'm not the most optimistic person myself, but you're right."

"Heh, no problem."

With that, a companionable silence fell over the pair and Kelli began to feel better. After all, Link had been practically alone in his fight during the dark future and he had prevailed. Perhaps Hyrule's chances weren't so slim after all. However, the smile that had partially formed on Kelli's face vanished once more when she saw a green figure slowly enter the village, leaning heavily on a tall staff as he hobbled towards them. Nearby, a small ball of bluish white light fluttered about in frantic circles, seemingly searching desperately for something. As the figure and ball of light drew closer, Kelli's eyes widened in shock and horror. It was Link and Navi, and the former did not look well at all. Link was barely within the village gates when his strength left him and he collapsed to the ground. Kelli's face went ghostly pale as she saw blood pool beneath the fallen hero.

"Oh my goddess!" Kelli gasped and quickly rushed over to him, followed by a frightened Vira. Navi had flown to his side as well, frantically trying to revive him. When Kelli approached him, she froze in her tracks. Link was in terrible shape. There were bruises and deep wounds all over his body and his left eye had seemingly vanished under a lump of swollen, purple flesh. His hair was gummy with blood and his clothes were tattered and no less stained with crimson. As Kelli carefully rolled him onto his back, she saw that he had also been deeply stabbed in the abdomen. Link had vainly tried to clamp his hand over the wound, but the blood slowly poured out unabated.

"Link! Oh no! NO!" Kelli cried, tears building up in her eyes. She quickly knelt to his side. "Vira, go find one of the soldiers and fast!"

"Right!" Vira agreed and sped off.

Kelli then tried to staunch Link's bleeding as well, but the blood just trickled through her fingers. If only she had more red potion on her. All she had was half a bottle left over from an earlier battle. She doubted it was enough to help Link, and she didn't have enough money to buy any more. As she pressed again on his wound, she noticed that Link's body felt unusually warm beneath her fingers. Curious, Kelli brought her hand to his forehead, and she snatched it away immediately. Link's forehead burned as hot as a summer day in the Haunted Wasteland, the desert near the Gerudo tribe's settlement. Most likely, his prolonged exposure to the cold temperatures in the Fortress of Ice, as well as his injuries, had made him ill.

"Link! Can you hear me? Please wake up!" Kelli begged, tears running down her cheeks. "Link!"

"C'mon, Link! Please hang on!" Navi added fearfully.

Link's eyes soon fluttered open moments later, though just barely.

"Uhnn… Kel…" he moaned softly.

"Oh, Link! You're still alive! Who did this to you?" Kelli frantically demanded.

"In the Fortress of Ice…in Lake Hylia…" Link began through grimaces of pain.

"Hey, take it slow! You can't waste your strength!"

"I know, but… You have to know… She was terrifyingly strong….and looked just like you. Only…black and white…and with evil golden eyes…"

"What?"

"Dark Kelli… Augggh!" Link gasped. "She was like…an evil, enhanced version of you… I managed…to force her to retreat…but… I was lucky…to have made it back here alive…"

"Oh my… I'd hoped you were just trying to get out of rescuing Ruto…"

"What? I can't believe you would even consider such a thing, you piece of—!" Navi began angrily, before Kelli cut her off.

"I never said I was! Listen, Navi, this is no time to fight!" Kelli interjected, vainly resisting the urge to try plucking Navi's wings again. "Either we set aside our differences for now and work together to save Link, or he _dies!_"

"…Well, you're right. So, what do you propose we do once Vira returns with a soldier?"

"The soldier will have to help get Link to Impa's house. It's the most heavily guarded, plus his majesty is there and he has a warm fire going. I will go find Ruto in Link's place."

"But what about the village?"

"We'll just have to hope nothing bad happens while I'm gone. We don't have a choice."

"…Blast."

"Kel! I'm back!" Vira called out moments later. Following her was the same soldier Kelli had met when she was heading to the cliff behind the windmill.

"Oh! This is terrible!" the soldier gasped when he saw Link's limp form. "Sir Link won't last long in this state! I'll do whatever I can to help!"

"Good. Get him into Impa's house quickly, but take care not to cause him further injury. His majesty should know where to find one of the doctors," Kelli ordered.

"Right!"

With that, the soldier carefully picked Link up and swung one of the ailing hero's arms around his shoulder.

"Kel…" Link uttered just as the pair started off. "Take the Flame Staff… You'll need…the boss key…compass…and map too…"

"Ah, that's right. I'm glad you were able to get those," Kelli replied and took the items. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Navi, can you watch over Link?"

"Of course," Navi agreed. "Good luck, I suppose."

"Thanks."

"Kel, I'll go with you!" Vira volunteered, though her tone betrayed her anxiety. "I'm scared, but I don't want to let you go alone."

"Well, alright. Let's hurry then."

With that, Kelli and Vira headed for Hyrule Field while the soldier carefully hauled Link to Impa's house. Kelli, however, couldn't get Link's words out of her mind. The news that she had an evil counterpart out there whose abilities might surpass her own was terrifying. Her doppelganger's handiwork also made it quite clear that this Dark Kelli was a formidable and dangerous adversary. This evil counterpart would be back, Kelli was certain of that. Even so, she would have to find a way to defeat her for good when they crossed paths, even if Link could not. When she reached Hyrule Field, Kelli noticed Epona. The mare looked terribly gloomy, no doubt worried for her master. Her saddle, reins, and stirrups were also stained with blood, likely from Link's wounds as he rode desperately back to Kakariko. Before mounting Sunfire, Kelli stroked Epona's cheek.

"Don't worry, girl… He'll be alright," she assured with a small smile.

Unfortunately, Kelli could not keep a note of uncertainty out of her words. Link was ill as well as gravely injured. She could only hope that the doctor would arrive in time to help him. Suddenly terrified, she forced herself to spur her horse into a gallop towards Lake Hylia…and, she feared, her own grave.


	16. A Deadly Crisis

Chapter 16: A Deadly Crisis

With every step she took towards Lake Hylia, Kelli's heart pounded a bit harder. She recalled Link's chilling description of Dark Kelli, as well as how the former Hero of Time had only barely prevailed against her, and the young Sky Guardian wondered if the creature she would face in the Fortress of Ice would be as formidable as her evil counterpart. It was already clear that the monsters she and Link now fought were far deadlier than any they had battled before, and whatever creature guarded the Jewel of Water would surely be no different. Still, Kelli recalled as well Link's warning of the monsters that were capable of using her own special techniques. Whoever was behind these creatures must therefore be someone who knew her well; perhaps _too_ well. Kelli paused, jerking Sunfire to a halt until the blood thundering in her ears grew quiet, and considered who might be at the heart of Hyrule's misfortunes. Kelli had made quite a few enemies, in Hyrule, Mayia and elsewhere, but who amongst them had the means and the patience to investigate her techniques meticulously enough to duplicate them? Notu, whom Kelli had faced in Mayia, seemed like a very likely candidate. Kelli had beaten him soundly and, though his fate was unknown, she knew that, if he had escaped death during their last encounter, he did so only very narrowly. Even if he had survived, she couldn't imagine how he could possibly recover and attack again so quickly. Besides, there was no shortage of other suspects. Dorath Riptide, the pirate lord of the Med Sea, had worked with Notu often enough to know of the young Sky Guardian, and he hadn't been pleased when Kelli had sent his flagship to the bottom.

_ I forget, did he go down with the ship, or not?_ Kelli wondered.

Kelli couldn't remember, as she'd been rather busy at the time making sure she herself didn't pass into a watery grave. Still, if Riptide had survived, he would surely seek revenge. Kelli also couldn't rule out Achren, an assassin referred to as "Bloodwing" for her ability to seemingly fly through the treetops. Of the various outlaws and villains who had sought the Guardian of the Sun's life, Bloodwing had dogged Kelli's steps the longest. And, from Kelli's encounters with Bloodwing, all quite unpleasant and several nearly proving fatal, she knew that the assassin had the skill to perform the techniques the monsters now practiced. However, Kelli had not caught wind of Bloodwing's pursuit in nearly two years.

More suspects, too many more, sprang to mind and Kelli was forced to cease her musings. There were simply too many and, in the case of at least half, she could not be certain if they were alive or dead. Of course, it was highly unlikely that a simple bandit or pirate could ever attain this kind of power, but at this point, Kelli feared that anything was possible.

Having nothing to show for her contemplations, save for a headache, she resumed her trek. When she reached what used to be the fenced off entrance to Lake Hylia, Kelli was astonished to find the iron gates smashed to bits. Still, she knew she could waste no time pondering what could have inflicted such damage to the stout iron gates, and could inflict upon her as well, so she spurred Sunfire to leap over the debris and take her to the lake. Her trepidation became dismay, however, when she saw Lake Hylia's dismal state. Much like Link, she had hoped that restoring the Zora's Domain waterfall might help the lake, but when Kelli brought Sunfire to a screeching halt at the lake's edge, she and Vira could only stare in utter shock. Not only was the lake still no more than a bone dry crater, but a trail of blood drops wound a wavering, staggering path across the lakebed and over the lip of the maw. Kelli had no doubt that the blood was from Link's desperate flight from the Fortress of Ice. The trail meandered to the side of the Lakeside Laboratory, where it had pooled, and then ended abruptly. Likely, the blood had become a puddle there when Link had remounted Epona and rode off. Kelli felt her stomach turn as she tried, vainly, to gauge just how much blood Link had lost. She quickly realized he was incredibly lucky not to have fallen from the saddle and bled to death.

"This… This is terrible," Vira spoke up.

Kelli felt her stomach lurch, and she could barely form a reply.

"Yeah… Link lost…all that blood… I can't imagine how hard, how _painful_, it must have been for him to climb out of the lakebed and leave in the state he was in, much less ride all the way back to Kakariko…" she said.

As she gazed upon the lake, dry save for the blood from what might be Link's death wound, Kelli couldn't prevent tears from building up in her eyes yet again.

"…If only I had trained him more!" she cried as she crumbled to the ground and buried her face in her hands.

"Kel…" Vira uttered. "None of this is your fault."

"Oh, Vira! I know, but I just don't know what to do anymore! Even if I manage to find Ruto and restore Lake Hylia, Link is still dying as we speak! And Judo is still missing, and King Daphnes is ill, and…!"

Her words were soon choked away by sobs. Vira merely sighed, even though she understood what her friend was going through.

"Oh come on! Pull yourself together! You certainly won't succeed acting like this!" the fairy chastised.

"But…"

"I've known you a long time, Kelli; long enough to know you're better than this! The Kelli I know is strong, fearless, and would take on any challenge she came across. She wouldn't let anything stop her! She's relentless; indomitable, even."

"…Really?"

"Yeah. I still remember that time you sank Riptide's flagship. You evaded his guards, shimmied through the bilges and planted a whole sack of bombs to blow the hull apart at the seams."

"I was just thinking about that, actually. Good goddesses, that was not one of my better ideas. Oh, sure, it worked great. But, I came out smelling like the whole crew had leaked on me."

"Yeah, but the look on ol' Riptide's face when his favorite boat went belly up and sank with him aboard was worth it. Seriously though, I know we've never faced a challenge like this before, especially with such close friends in danger. But, we've been in plenty of other tight-spots and we've made it through. If we prevail here, it will only mean we'd have grown stronger! And believe me, that's saying something."

"That's true. And nobody wants a weak Sky Guardian."

"Exactly. Now stand up and dry your eyes. You can't help save Hyrule by crying."

"You're right! Link and the others are counting on us. I'd be giving the Sky Guardians a bad name if I broke down in the middle of a quest."

"That's the spirit. Now let's go! We have lives to save!"

"Right!"

With that, Kelli clambered down onto the lakebed and began looking for the entrance to the Fortress of Ice. It wasn't long, however, before she and Vira spotted two cave entrances at the far side of the lakebed. Kelli regarded the two openings with concern. Link hadn't mentioned there being two entrances, but then again, he had been too weak to say much at all. Still, if she chose the wrong entrance, the delay might cost Link's life. Kelli then produced the map Link had given her, in hopes that she could figure out which entrance to take quickly. From what she could make out, one entrance led to a section of the Fortress containing many more rooms than there were behind the other entrance. Kelli knew that she needed to take the one leading to the larger half of the fortress and, after gauging the positions of two entrances before her in relation to the map, she decided that the cave opening on right side of the lakebed was the one she sought. She took a deep breath and headed inside.

As she and Vira traversed the tunnel through which they entered, Kelli had expected the area to grow colder. The place _was_ called the Fortress of Ice, after all. Much to her surprise, however, the exact opposite seemed to be occurring. As Kelli approached the first chamber, she was quite astonished to find that the temperature was actually _rising_. Her perplexity did not end there, however, as water flowed freely throughout the first room and, where she had expected sheets of ice, there were instead clouds of steam. Kelli and Vira merely halted where they were as they observed this peculiar surprise.

"…This is odd," Kelli spoke up. "Why isn't it cold in here?"

"Yeah, I'm wondering the same thing," Vira replied.

Kelli tentatively dipped a finger into the water, snatching it back almost immediately and letting out a brief cry of pain.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed, putting the reddening finger in her mouth. "It's as hot as a boiling stew pot! But, it can't have gotten this way on its own; and, whatever heated it up must've been powerful. It probably happened recently too, for it to still be so hot. Maybe Link did this while he was here? It's the only possible explanation I can think of."

"I agree. Though that Flame Staff doesn't seem nearly powerful enough to do the job. At least, not by itself. If Link did do this, he had to have used something else."

"Yeah. But we can't worry about that now. We have a Sage and jewel to find."

"Ah, right."

With that, Kelli scrutinized the map once more, seeking the path to the chamber of the dungeon's master. It was apparently located in the back of the fortress, with many rooms standing between it and Kelli. Kelli had feared that, in order to reach it, she might have to seek out and use whatever means Link had discovered to change the dungeon's temperature. Such would be a delay that she, and Link, could ill-afford; but, luckily, the route was open and clear. However, the chamber which held the entrance to her destination was one Link had not yet visited. Whatever lay within, be it a puzzle or monsters, Kelli would have to deal with it quickly if she was going to save him. And of course, she would do so; and she'd finish the entire fortress for him as well.

Kelli had heard a few horror stories about Ruto and, if she was imprisoned here, the Sun Guardian decided to spare Link the added displeasure of meeting the Zora princess yet again.

As Kelli quickly made her way through the rooms Link had already cleared, her pace was brisk but she kept wary nonetheless. The heroine had only detected relatively scant traces of the presence of monsters, but this only made her more uneasy. Had Dark Kelli grown overconfident, or had she anticipated her arrival and had laid a trap? Suspecting the latter, Kelli kept her sword at the ready when she at last reached the final room before the dungeon master's chamber.

Beyond the portal, Kelli found herself standing on a tiny platform which rose on frighteningly slender pillars that descended into a seemingly bottomless chasm. Ahead, a long canal spanned the abyss and vanished into an opening in the rock on the far side of the room. Some distance within was a large, cracked wall. A quick glance at the map indicated that Kelli's destination was behind that wall. However, the distance was too great for her to toss a bomb and, even if that wasn't a problem, the water was too deep and the bomb would sink. So, Kelli decided that the only way she'd break through the wall was by ramming into it using the Pegasus Boots. She then slipped them onto her feet and dashed across the surface of the water. Just as she hoped, the Pegasus Boots worked as the Fairy of Winds had promised, and the heroine slammed into the wall hard enough to shatter it. The wall crumbled, revealing an expansive chamber where platforms rose at various intervals and elevation. The large, ornate door leading to the chamber of the dungeon's master stood on the far side. However, the force of the impact had knocked Kelli backwards and sent her into the water. Before she could climb out, a trio of navy-eyed Lizalfos dropped from the ceiling onto the various other platforms dotting the room. Kelli quickly scrambled out of the water and leapt atop the platform which held the door to the dungeon master's chamber. With her back to the wall, and where even the slippery Lizalfos could not swing behind here, she brought up her blade. The Lizalfos, as she expected, bounded over to her using their superior jumping abilities. As they drew nearer, however, Kelli realized that these weren't ordinary Lizalfos. Unlike normal Lizalfos, these three wore armor, making them akin to Armosaurs, but not quite.

_Almost like… Oh no!_

"Eek!" Vira gasped, apparently reaching the same conclusion as Kelli.

"Blast!" Kelli exclaimed. "These are Armozards!"

"H-How are we going to fend off three of them at once?" Vira stammered, her tiny eyes widening with fright. "I remember that their weak point is their tails, but…"

"Don't worry, Vira. These are moon-aligned Armozards, so I should be able to handle them easily."

"I hope so."

"Watch me."

As the Armozards drew nearer, Kelli seemed to relax her stance. Rising to her full height, she sheathed her sword and spread her hands as though presenting herself to the bloodthirsty lizards. More than a few combatants might have considered her actions to have been madness but, rather than shrieking for her friend to arm herself, Vira simply snickered. She knew exactly what her friend was up to, and that the first Armozard who thought Kelli to be easy pickings would be in for a nasty surprise. As one Armozard approached Kelli, the heroine seemed to move like lightning. Her hand swiftly darted to the hilt of her sword and, in a single blur of motion, she drew the blade and then launched herself into a whirling slash. The blow struck with such might that it knocked the creature to the ground.

"I'm going to teach Link that move next," Kelli decided and then finished the stunned Armozard off with an ending blow. "I know he'll need it. …If he lives…"

"Yeah, I've no doubt about that," Vira agreed as her friend turned her attention to the two remaining Armozards. Kelli's grief and fear had begun to return as she recalled Link's injuries and fever, and that every passing moment brought him closer to death. Kelli knew she had to finish this bout quickly but, thankfully, the two remaining Armozards seemed happy to oblige and approached her eagerly. Kelli's fear, by then, had turned to anger. As tears formed in her eyes again, Kelli grimaced, as though in the midst of a great exertion. She angled her sword behind her, drew back a few steps, and focused power in her blade. The Armozards, realizing her intent, drew back and whirled to either side of the young Sky Guardian, thinking themselves safely beyond the range of the coming attack.

They were wrong. _Dead_ wrong.

Kelli unleashed the power she had gathered in a ferocious spin attack, but one whose range and strength surpassed that of a normal spin attack. The two Armozards , realizing too late that they hadn't drawn back far enough, were struck by the liberated energy of the heroine's blade and sent flying. One flew into the wall with bone crushing force while the other slammed head-first into one of the other platforms, a sickening crack emanating from his skull. Both then fell to the floor, and neither got back up. _That was for you, Link_, Kelli thought to herself as she sheathed her sword and slung her shield across her back. _Now to take care of business here, once and for all._

At that, Kelli approached the large door and slid the boss key into the golden lock. The imposing lock and chains fell away almost immediately, allowing her to enter. As Kelli cautiously stepped inside, however, she suddenly realized that she was freezing. Whatever Link had done to warm the fortress, this chamber had apparently not been affected. It was chillier than the Mayian mountains in winter, and by a sizable margin.

"Holy c-cuccos!" Kelli exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her torso. "It's freezing in here!"

"Y-You're not kidding!" Vira replied, flapping her wings furiously and shedding tiny icicles. "W-whatever Link did to w-warm the fortress must not have reached this room. Or, maybe the m-monster is keeping it f-frozen."

"Well, I-I'd say—WAAAH!" Kelli's sentence ended in a scream as she suddenly slipped on the icy ground. She soon found herself plunging down an icy slide that spiraled all the way down to the bottom of the gigantic circular chamber. Vira, muttering something to the effect of "here we go again," quickly followed, struggling to keep up as ice continued to gather on her wings.

"Uhn!" Kelli yelped when she finally landed in a heap at the base of the slide. As she slowly stood up, the heroine realized she had landed in the middle of a large, circular stone platform, nearly as big as Death Mountain's summit, that rose out of a massive body of water. Vira fluttered to Kelli's side, no doubt to make some agitated remark about the heroine's tendency to walk right into trouble, but the sound of water rippling began to echo throughout the room.

"W-What's that?" Vira stammered, hiding behind Kelli.

"I'm not s-sure," Kelli replied, trying hard to ignore a chill running up and down her spine which had nothing to do with the cold.

The water began to foam and roil several meters away and, suddenly, an immense form erupted from the water in a gigantic splash. Almost faster than Kelli's eyes could follow, a massive reptilian beast leaped from the waves and landed with a crash on the platform. Its powerful body was covered in rough, icy blue scales while each of its webbed feet bore five sharp claws. Its body seemed have been formed of ice, with alternating shades of blue scales which bristled with shards of ice, vaguely resembling the quills of a porcupine, and a shiny blue jewel gleamed at the tip of its tail. Water dripped from its long, spiny tail, the sharp teeth of its powerful jaws, and the rest of its very large and muscular body. Its navy blue eyes stared at Kelli and Vira with hunger and bloodlust.

"EEEK!" Vira yelped, darting behind Kelli's shoulder and trembling fearfully. "W-What is that thing?"

"…I have absolutely no idea," Kelli replied, slowly backing away a few steps and readying her sword and shield again. The giant lizard, whom was known as Arcquaos, the Demonic Ice Nothosaur, drew in a breath of the frigid air and let it out in a roar that blasted into Kelli's face with a wave of hot, foul smelling vapor. Kelli forcibly swallowed a fit of coughs and quickly brought up her shield in an attempt to ward off the Nothosaur's foul breath.

"I know you're as good as dead since you're tangling with us, but do you have to _smell_ like it?" Vira retorted, clinging to Kelli's shoulder so she wouldn't be blown across the room.

As if he understood the fairy's taunt, Arcquaos suddenly lunged at the two, his jaws snapping at Kelli to bite her in half. The Sky Guardian continued to back away, darting from side to side to evade the creature's fangs and countering with her sword when she could. Yet, the creature drew back and was ready to strike again before Kelli could do more than scratch its scales.

"Vira, stay behind me!" Kelli ordered after the creature's jaws had nearly clamped down on the small fairy.

"Already planning on it!" Vira replied shakily, seeming to tremble in the air.

Kelli could hardly blame the tiny fairy for being frightened, for Kelli was trembling herself after Arcquaos' fangs missed her head by a narrow margin. Arcquaos followed this latest attack with powerful swipes of his forearms, seeking to disembowel the heroine with his claws. Kelli quickly brought up her shield, but even though it spared her from being gutted, the sheer force of the blow sent her hurtling through the air. She flew over the edge of the platform and plunged into the freezing cold water behind her. In an instant, she felt the frigid waters begin to numb her limbs, and she knew that she was as good as dead if she didn't escape quickly. She began to furiously tread water to keep her legs from freezing while her arms, searing from exertion in the freezing water, guided her sword into its sheath and slung her shield over her back. Her frostbitten body now flaming with agony, Kelli quickly swam to the surface. Her mind felt a bit sluggish from her dunking, but she knew she couldn't rest yet. If frostbite set in, she might very well lose a limb or two. And, if the icy water she was soaked with froze, then Arcquaos would, literally, have her for dessert. She turned in the direction of the platform but, to her horror, she saw Vira frozen in terror as Arcquaos loomed over her.

As Kelli broke the surface, however, Arcquaos turned his baleful gaze upon the Sun Guardian. The creature raised its head high atop its long neck and then expelled a gale of heavy, icy wind. His long neck swung his head in all directions, sending blasts of icy breath throughout the chamber, gradually freezing the water solid. Kelli gasped as she saw the wave of ice approaching and forced her nearly spent form toward the edge of the platform. She just barely managed to climb out before the wave of ice could envelope her. The sound of Kelli clambering out of the water finally snapped Vira out of her trance, and the fairy darted away from a second blast of Arcquaos's icy breath. As she did so, however, she noticed that the jewel on Arcquaos's tail was now glowing much brighter and when the gale died down, so too did the glow.

"Kelli! I think I'm on to something! You see the jewel on that thing's tail? I'll be that's its weakness! Look how brightly it's glowing!" the purple fairy shouted, though her excitement became tinged with fear when she noticed the wicked spines on that same tail.

"…Yeah! I bet you're right!" Kelli agreed. She quickly produced her bow in hopes of getting a clear shot at the jewel using a Sun Arrow while Arcquaos's attention was still focused on freezing the water. However, Arcquaos's tail snapped and swung about the chamber which such speed that this seemed impossible. Worse still, within the next few moments, the creature's frigid breath had turned the entire pool of water into an ice sheet. Kelli realized that the beast would soon return his attention to her and, sure enough, the blue scaled head turned in her direction and the creature's jaw parted in anticipation of the kill.

"…Blast," Kelli opined in frustration as the creature snapped at her with its massive jaws. Kelli leapt away but, before she had even regained her feet, Arcquaos suddenly whirled around and swung his powerful tail at the heroine. Kelli soon realized, much to her consternation, that Arquoas was every bit as agile on land as he likely was under the water. The creature would launch himself into short, twisting hops that brought his tail whistling at Kelli's skull, and she was just barely able to back-flip high enough or crouch low enough to evade these blows. They came in an unbroken, deadly rhythm, but then Arquaos abruptly halted the assault. The creature staggered from one side to the other, his head lolling and its eyes spinning almost as much as the rest of him had been moments ago. The creature was dazed by its own attack. A split second later, a flash of inspiration flared in Kelli's mind.

"Hey! Fish Breath!" she shouted, regaining the beast's slightly addled attention. She then launched an arrow right into his forehead.

Kelli's triumphant grin, however, turned upside-down when the creature seemed to recover from the blow almost immediately and struck again with its tail. One of the spines caught Kelli across the leg, and she fell. The Flame Staff clattered to the ground next to her and, upon seeing it, Arcquaos seemed to draw back a pace.

This caught Kelli's attention; so, when she got another opening to fire an arrow, she also swung the Flame Staff and sent a fireball hurtling at the creature's face.

Arcquaos, being a creature of the cold, screeched in pain and, his head flailed wildly. Soon, he stumbled on the slippery ice behind him and toppled over. He came crashing down upon the newly created ice sheet, the impact sending a spider web of cracks shooting through the frozen water.

"Kelli! Now's your chance!" Vira shouted. "Hurry, before the ice breaks up completely!"

"Right!" Kelli agreed and rushed across to Arcquaos's tail. Luckily, one of the spines had become lodged in the ice and, with Arcquaos too dazed to pull it free, she hacked away at the vulnerable jewel. With each blow, the beast's roars of pain echoed throughout the chamber. The cracks in the ice, however, continued to spread and, no more than a heartbeat later, to widen. When the ice sheet she was standing on suddenly split in half, and each half seemed determined to make off with one of her legs, Kelli was forced to retreat back to the platform. Arquaos, meanwhile, has recovered and his bloodthirsty eyes fixed upon her again. Water and saliva dripping from its sharp teeth, he advanced on the Sky Guardian.

Arcquaos's attacks came even swifter this time around, but Kelli once again managed to evade the creature's whipping tail strikes until the creature's own assault left it dazed and vulnerable. After another counter-attack against the creature's tail, Kelli decided to use this tactic for the time being, though she expected her foe to eventually employ a new strategy sooner or later. The creatures that lorded over the dungeons were intelligent enough to recognize when a particular approach wasn't working and to employ another, and the creatures which now terrorized Hyrule were clearly very intelligent, relentless, and deadly. What's more, it was already clear that they were quite familiar with Kelli herself given Link's discovery that at least some of them could use her techniques as well as the existence of Dark Kelli. Despite that, the heroine managed to repeat her earlier success and struck Arcquaos's tail twice more. Kelli, though she realized she was winning, kept her guard up and watched the beast carefully. With Link in the state that he was in, she could not afford to make a single mistake. Kelli was the last hope Hyrule had until the ailing hero recovered…_if_ he recovered.

After Kelli's fourth assault on Arcquaos, the beast let out a terrifying shriek that forced Kelli to clap her hands over her ears. She watched warily but, to her surprise, the creature did not attempt to swing his tail or use his icy breath. Instead, it continued to roar and, as Kelli watched, she realized that the icicles on Arquoas body where growing. The set he'd had when their battle began were becoming longer, thicker, and sharper. What's more, as Arcquaos stood there, more sharp icicles rose from all over his body, including his legs, neck, torso, and head. A split second later, the beast went into a lurching roll that sent these icicles hurtling in every direction. Kelli quickly brought up her arms and shield over her face, several of the frozen missiles rebounding upon impact, but others slashing into her exposed arms and legs.

"AAAGH!" she yelped as blood began flowing down her injured limbs.

"Kelli!" Vira shouted worriedly, then snapping her fingers as an idea came to her. "Try using the shield attack next time! You might be able to deflect those icicles back at it!"

"W-What? But didn't you see the way that thing moves? I'm nowhere good enough to hit something that agile!" Kelli protested, trying to ignore the pain in her frostbitten and slashed sword arm.

"Come on! You can do it!"

"But… I don't know! My shield arm feels ready to fall off after that icy water!"

"Kel, you have to! Do it for Link! He'd want you to!"

"…Yeah, you're right. I'll give it my best shot for him! I just need to remember what he taught me about using a shield…"

_You just need to practice keeping a firm grip on it_, Link had said. While the creature turned its freezing breath on the water again, Kelli furiously worked to revive her shield arm. When a sheet of ice covered the water again, Arcquaos roared piercingly. The icicles then began to grow until his body bristled with icy spikes once more.

"Keep a firm grip on it…" Kelli repeated, hoping her half frozen fingers were up to the task. Within a split second, Arcquaos scattered his icicles once again. Just before they could strike her flesh, Kelli thrust her shield forward, knocking them right back at their owner. The shield did not wobble at all, nor did it ever slip from Kelli's arm. More astonishing still, the reflected projectile had struck its mark.

"You did it!" Vira cheered.

"…I did!" Kelli replied, a large smile forming on her face. "I did do it! Haha! Time to finish this beast!"

With that, Kelli felt excitement crackle through her body, not unlike the incendiary power of the Staff, for the first time in hours. She had finally performed a perfect shield attack, something she'd struggled to accomplish since the technique was first shared with her in Mayia. Now, if she could keep this up, she'd be able to finish off Arcquaos for good. When his own icicles struck him, the beast had been stunned. The following attack with the Flame Staff was enough to throw it off balance, and once again, it toppled onto the ice, allowing Kelli to deal more blows to his tail. Arcquaos seemed almost panicked by this reversal of fortune, perhaps not expecting Kelli to be able to counter his strategy so quickly, for its next assault became an erratic mix of attacks. Even so, Kelli kept Link's advice in mind and, much to her delight, she successfully repeated her earlier success with the shield attack. She followed these with blasts from the Flame Staff and then dealt several more blows to Arcquaos's tail. By this time, the beast was clearly weakening from wounds and weariness, but he continued to attack Kelli mercilessly. Yet, with the momentum of the battle on her side, Kelli wasn't giving up either.

Still, Kelli's elation was short lived. Both exhaustion and her own wounds had begun taking their toll on the heroine as well. She began to pant after striking Arcquaos's tail twice more. Between escaping the freezing water, dodging the beast's ice breath, deflecting his razor sharp icicles, and avoiding his tail and claws, Kelli was left breathing hard and her vision swimming. What's more, she also knew she had to staunch her wounds and thaw her frostbitten limbs, while they were still attached. Thankfully, Arcquaos was the worse off of the two combatants, as Kelli had dealt him grievous wounds by this time. Thankfully, the heroine's next strike upon the creature's tail proved to be the last. At Kelli's final thrust, Arcquaos roared in deafening agony while the jewel on his tail sparked, cracked, and then shattered. The beast stumbled and then collapsed into the water, vanishing beneath the icy surface.

"Ha… Ha…" Kelli panted as she heard a clanking and whooshing sound and watched as the water began to drain away. She had to admit, this had been one of the toughest battles she had ever fought. Even Bloodwing had not pressed the Sky Guardian to her limits as Arcquaos had, and this had only been her first clash with the new dungeon lords in Hyrule. She doubted it would be her last, and suspected that the next might be even deadlier.

After the pool of water had completely drained away, a stone door was revealed beneath Kelli on the east side of the room. Once her battle-heady blood had settled, Kelli was forcibly reminded of the damage done to her by Arcquaos's ice missiles and her dunking in the frozen water. She wanted to treat her wounds and the frostbite, and fast, but in her alarm at seeing Link's condition and her desperate haste to save him, she had forgotten to buy more potions in Kakariko. If her legs weren't in so much pain, she would've kicked herself. All she could do was carefully jump down from the platform , a decision she promptly regretted, and limp through the newly opened door.

As Kelli expected, the newly revealed door led to a tiny chamber that contained an altar, above which floated a small, shadowy sphere. Suddenly, a light pulsed within the shadows and the darkness was dispelled. Revealed was the shiny blue Jewel of Water, the very treasure Link had likely been seeking. A blue warp portal also shimmered into existence at the other end of the chamber. The Jewel of Water then glowed brightly and another, larger figure soon appeared from within the light. Once the light faded away, the figure's identity became clear. As Kelli had hoped, it was Princess Ruto. Thankfully, she appeared to be safe and unharmed. There was not a scratch on her blue fins and scales, though her eyes did roam the chamber as though seeking something she could not find.

"Link?" she called. "Link, are you here?"

"Sorry, no," Kelli replied, rolling her eyes at the Zora princess's obsession over the green-clad hero.

"Oh! Kelli! Am I glad to see you!" Ruto greeted upon noticing her savior. "I was afraid I'd be trapped inside that jewel forever."

"I bet. I'm glad to see you safe and sound myself," Kelli replied with a smile. "I'm sure your father will be relieved too."

"I'm sure, he always gets in such a state when I disappear," Ruto admitted, her tone a little too cheerful for Kelli's tastes. "That one time I got swallowed by Lord Jabu-Jabu, I didn't think he'd let me see the light of day again."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Kelli replied, still wondering how Ruto had _ever_ become the Sage of Water.

"Indeed. Oh, no offense intended, but I was hoping Link would be the one to save me," Ruto admitted disappointedly. "Has he not returned to Hyrule yet?"

"Yeah, I thought as much," Kelli said with a chuckle. "And as a matter of fact, he did come home not long ago. He's already rescued Saria and Darunia, and cleansed the Kokiri Forest, Death Mountain, and Zora's Domain of evil."

"Oh, that's wonderful. I'm glad to know that he came back after so long! But…how come he couldn't come find me?"

Kelli's smile abruptly faded and she could no longer meet the Zora princess's gaze. Kelli did not bear the Sage of Water any personal fondness, but she did know that the Zora princess cared for Link…in her own clingy, irritating fashion. If she told Ruto what had happened, the Zora princess would surely be horrified, but Kelli also knew that it would be wrong of her to keep such news secret from her.

"Well… You see, Link _was_ here looking for you and the jewel," Kelli began, each word demanding effort. "But, he was gravely wounded in battle. He managed to make it back to Kakariko, but he was in no condition to return here, so I came in his place."

Ruto's expression, by this time, was aghast and her eyes bulged with shock. Kelli immediately regretted her words and gnashed her teeth together to keep from revealing anything else. There was no way Kelli would tell Ruto how bad Link's wounds truly were. It would utterly destroy Ruto to learn that Link's life hung by a thread, and Kelli simply could not break Ruto's heart, no matter how un-sagely the Zora princess could be at times.

"Oh… I see…" Ruto replied, frowning. "The poor dear…"

Kelli then found herself smiling again as a notion, a mildly insane notion, occurred to her.

"But hey, you'd have been proud to have seen him in action. I swear, I think he's gotten even better than he was the last time the two of you met. He had those monsters begging for mercy for trapping you in here, and I was hard pressed to talk him into letting me return in his place. He was so worried about you," she embellished while, nearby, Vira mouthed "you're out of your mind."

"…Really?"

"You'd better believe it! He really went through a lot just to try to rescue you."

"Wow… Then he really does care about me!"

"I'd say so! Hee hee."

Ruto's cheeks colored in what, Kelli supposed, was the Zora equivalent of a blush. Kelli couldn't quite be sure of the truth in all of her words, and was quite certain she'd stretched the truth in quite a few places, and she suspected that Link would give her an earful if he found out what she had told Ruto. Yet, this tale had done much to lighten Ruto's spirits, and thinking about the look on Link's face when he and Ruto met again lightened Kelli's mood as well.

"Then, I must go visit him! After all, Link got injured while trying to save me, so it's only the right thing to do. Where is he at now?"

_Me and my big mouth._

"He's resting in Kakariko, but I'm not sure that's a good idea," Kelli warned. "You, uh…need to let your father know you're safe!"

"…Well, that's true. I'll go do that first then. I'll meet you at the village later!"

With that, Ruto rushed for the warp portal.

"W-Wait, Ruto! Hold on!" Kelli protested.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Ruto assured as she entered the portal and vanished. Kelli brought up one hand and gave her face a loud slap.

"Blast," she uttered.

"Well, you tried," Vira replied, snickering under her breath. "Let's get the jewel and get out of here."

"Alright…"

Kelli then took a deep breath and grabbed the Jewel of Water from its resting place. As she did so, a peculiar warmth stole over her. It was as though she'd been plunged into a pool of warm water…except she now felt dry. Almost as though the jewel was draining away the cold of her dunking, she now felt warm and dry, and the frostbite induced pain in her limbs faded. Nodding gamely, she entered the warp portal after, relieved to leave behind the cold dungeon and its frigid perils.

The portal briefly blinded Kelli and, when her vision returned, she found herself gently descending to the small island beneath which rested the Water Temple. She noticed that the Jewel of Water was glowing again and, realizing what this might mean, she watched the dry lake expectantly. Sure enough, water erupted from the two entrances to the Fortress of Ice, the GerudoValley River, the passage to Zora's Domain, and the entrance to the Water Temple. Higher and higher the water level rose, until the once bone dry crater brimmed over with clear, beautiful water. Kelli was relieved, elated even, to see this, though it did not provide as much relief as she would have liked. After all, the battle to save Hyrule was far from over. The heroine also knew that Link was still in grave danger…if he was even still alive.

"Hey! Kelli, look over there!" Vira exclaimed as Kelli was cleaning her wounds. Kelli turned to follow her fairy friend's gaze and spotted a pair of blue Lizalfos standing at the river's edge. She had never seen blue Lizalfos before and, more curious still, this pair had clearly noticed her, but made no move to attack.

"Hey, that's weird…" she commented.

Before she could make sense of this oddity, a bright glow enveloped the creatures. Kelli averted her eyes from the glare and, when she turned back, she saw instead a pair of Zoras.

"I don't believe it," Kelli uttered, her eyes wide with shock. She quickly raced across the rope bridges leading back to the mainland.

"Neither do I!" Vira agreed.

Once they arrived at the other side of the lake, Kelli quickly approached the Zoras. They were apparently aware of their reversion, for they were studying their newly regained fins with delight. As Kelli drew nearer, they soon noticed her, the delight on their faces seeming to grow.

"Ah, you must be Kelli," one said. "We thank you deeply for returning us to normal!"

"Yes, now we can finally go home!" the second Zora added.

"Yes, I'm Kelli. And I see," Kelli replied. "But what happened to you two?"

"We came here a few days ago, searching for Princess Ruto. We had just fought off an attack by monsters emerging from the Fortress of Ice. Since we suspected Princess Ruto to have been inside the fortress, one of our number returned to Zora's Domain to tell the king what we had discovered," the first Zora explained. "Soon thereafter, a shadowy figure appeared, along with a shrouded man with glowing eyes. The shadowy figure directed the shrouded man to cast a spell and, when we regained our sense, we found that we had been transformed into those hideous lizards."

"And that figure looked exactly like you!" the second added. "Only, she was dark with evil; so much so my scales crawled just looking at her. She was like some sort of twisted shadow of yourself. After we were transformed, she and the shrouded man just laughed at our misfortune and left. We couldn't go back home looking the way we did; nor could we hope to overcome the Fortress of Ice. We lingered here at the lake, hoping someone who could break the curse might come along. We saw Link, our princess's paramour, not long ago, but we were feared he would take us for the enemy. So we ran away."

"We hoped he would destroy the monsters in our former home, find Princess Ruto, and return this place to normal, but then we saw him emerge later with those awful wounds," the first Zora finished. "He rode off on his horse, and we feared he wouldn't survive the journey."

"Dark Kelli…" Kelli growled angrily, a grimace twisting her features. Her hands clenched into fists.

"You know of her as well?" the first Zora wondered.

"Yes, but there's no time to explain," Kelli replied. "I have to return to Kakariko Village at once. Link made it there, but he'll need help if he is to survive. You both should report to King Zora that the fortress has been cleansed and Ruto is safe. I'm sure he'll be relieved by this news, and to see that you're safe."

"Ah, yes, of course. And again, many thanks!"

With that, the trio went their separate ways. Kelli quickly mounted Sunfire, who had been grazing contently on the newly revived grass, and she immediately spurred the horse into a gallop. The young Sky Guardian raced out of Lake Hylia, leaping over the debris, and thundered onto Hyrule Field. On the way back to Kakariko, however, Kelli's earlier fears returned with a vengeance. Apparently, Dark Kelli was every bit as ruthless as Link's grievous wounds would suggest, and then some. More than a formidable enemy, Dark Kelli also seemed only too eager to inflict pain upon anyone who got in her way. Her dark counterpart, as far as Kelli could see, had nothing to gain from afflicting the two Zoras…except satiating a lust for sadistic pleasures, and now Kelli could see why Link had suffered so horribly at her dark counterpart's hands. What the two Zora guards had said made her wonder, however. Could Dark Kelli be the one behind the evil that now threatened to consume Hyrule? And, if so, what could her aim be? Or was Dark Kelli in the service of an even greater villain, perhaps Notu, Bloodwing, Riptide, or somebody else entirely? Whatever the case, Kelli knew her dark counterpart would inevitably strike again. The only question was where, and when. And Kelli could only hope that either she or Link, or better yet, both, would be there to stop her.

This train of thought soon took an even darker turn. The Sky Guardian had half expected her dark counterpart to be lying in wait within the Fortress of Ice, ready to ensnare Hyrule's lone remaining defender. Yet, Dark Kelli had not done so. With Link near death, eliminating Kelli was surely the wisest move…unless Dark Kelli had something else in mind. What if, instead, Dark Kelli was planning to raid Kakariko Village while it was undefended? If such were to happen now, with Link near death and Kelli absent, any chance of rebuilding Hyrule would surely be lost. Kelli spurred Sunfire, urging all speed from her mount. Yet, even as those dire thoughts roiled in her gut, more appeared.

Could Judo have crossed paths with Dark Kelli…and lost? Kelli then shook her head to banish these thoughts, unable to bear them. Even so, if Dark Kelli took both Link and Judo's lives, Kelli vowed that she would make her evil counterpart pay very dearly…or that she would die trying. Judo was her best friend, the boy who had been at her side, through times both good and bad, when they were children. They played with each other every day. They had warded off bullies, cared for one another when they were sick or hurt, and protected one another from danger whenever they could. Link was Kelli's partner and a newfound friend. It wasn't just the fact that he was destined to be the second Sky Guardian and the Guardian of the Moon either. Somehow, despite that she had only met him days before, Kelli still felt a bond with Link. It was a bond of a very different sort than the one she shared with Judo, for she worried about and cared for him as her best friend, as she always had. She considered Link to be a good friend, but when he was in danger, she feared for him like she would for a brother or cousin.

That musing caused perplexity to chase out some of Kelli's anxiety. Where had that musing come from? She had no family. She knew nothing of her parents, or if they were even alive. Kelli wasn't even sure if she was actually Hyrulean. All she knew was that she was an orphaned Hylian girl who spent some of her childhood with Saria in the Kokiri Forest, much like Link had. When she left behind the forest of children, she met and quickly befriended Judo. Two years later, she journeyed onward to Mayia, where she grew into both womanhood and her role as the Guardian of the Sun. Though Kelli had lived amongst the Kokiri, she had long since known that she herself was not one of the forever young forest children, not the smallest clue being that she survived leaving the forest when no Kokiri could, however, her true origins remained a mystery. _I just don't understand…_ Kelli thought to herself. _I hope I find out someday._

Sometime later, Kelli finally approached the stone stairs leading up to Kakariko Village. Epona remained tethered and gloomy as ever without her master, as she had been when Kelli first departed. However, Kelli also noticed that the mare's saddle and reins had been cleaned. The blood that had stained them was gone, and the leather had been freshly oiled and repaired. Perplexed, but relieved that Dark Kelli hadn't attacked the village in her absence, Kelli quickly dismounted Sunfire and hurried up the stairs into the village. Much to her surprise, the simple wooden fence had been replaced with a partially built stone barrier and a stout iron gate. As she drew nearer, a shout made her jump.

"Who goes there?"

Several figures rose from atop the wall; Kelli could distinguish at least a dozen hylian soldiers armed with bows and arrows and at least as many Gorons brandishing what looked like some sort of sling-like weapon for hurtling huge rocks. When the armed guards recognized her, however, they lowered their weapons and beckoned her to approach. Kelli, more than a little startled by these changes, mechanically strode through the gate as it creaked open. Still, she could not suppress a flutter of excitement as she realized what might be happening.

Upon entering the village, the heroine's suspicions were confirmed. Kakariko was now an armed camp. A number of villagers had set up improvised forges and were hammering out swords, spears, shields and suits of armor, while others were carving bows and arrows. Many new soldiers, fresh recruits, Kelli suspected, were being trained by more experienced warriors. Gorons were delivering loads of iron ore to the forges while oxen carried heavy stones for the new wall's construction. Kelli was briefly flabbergasted at the whirlwind of activity, but quickly realized its meaning.

Link had saved the people of Hyrule before, in the dark future which only a chosen few recalled, and by exposing Ganondorf upon returning from the future, and, with him near death and Hyrule besieged by evil, the people had only themselves to rely upon.

Apparently, they were managing well enough.

The next time the enemy visited Kakariko, they'd be in for a nasty surprise.

Though she was relieved that Kakariko was now well defended, Kelli was still worried. She hadn't yet found a means to heal Link's affliction, and there was also the question of how Daphnes was coping with the ongoing crisis. In addition to his kingdom being ravaged by an unknown evil and his daughter's disappearance, he might very well have just lost his best chance to rectify the situation, and Kelli knew what such news could do to the king's already deteriorating health. She quickly bolted for Impa's house, dodging between the traffic of armed men and praying silently for both Daphnes and Link.

Within moments, Kelli barged through the front door. Daphnes already stood at the entrance, probably expecting her.

"Ah, Kelli," he greeted. "It does my heavy heart good to see that you've returned safely."

"I'm glad you're alright as well, your majesty," Kelli replied through a fearful pant. "Please tell me, how is Link? Will he be alright?"

Daphnes sighed before replying.

"I desperately wish I had an answer to that. I sent for a doctor as soon as I learned of Link's condition, but this affliction is one unknown to him. Even so, the doctor has treated Link as best as he can for now. You should go speak with him. He can explain the situation better than I."

"Alright. They're upstairs, I'm guessing?"

"Correct. Link also has a visitor, by the way. I think you may know her as well."

_Could Ruto have gotten here that fast? _Kelli wondered to herself.

"I see. I'll go see them immediately," she said.

Kelli then rushed up the staircase. The second floor of Impa's home was a large, single room which was neatly furnished with three beds as well as end tables, wardrobes, and a modest seating area for entertaining guests. Two beds were arranged against the right wall while the other stood upon the left. Link occupied the latter bed, and Kelli's breath seemed to catch in her throat when she saw him. His eyes were closed, one of which seemingly swollen shut by a massive bruise that was covered with a bandage, and his breathing was labored and shallow. His tunic, hat, and undershirt had been removed while his left arm and torso were bandaged. The blood that matted his hair and stained his body had been washed away. However, the hero lay motionless upon the bed; his skin deathly pale and his body dripping with sweat. If not for Link feverish shivering, one might have believed he was already dead. However, Kelli feared that she knew what the doctor was about to tell her.

"Ah, Lady Kelli," he greeted. "I'm glad you've come. It is an honor to meet you, though I dearly wish it were under better circumstances."

The doctor was a middle-aged man, his brown hair streaked with gray and his hazel eyes somewhat blurry from strain but still sharp with intellect. He wore a white robe and a leather satchel hung from his belt, likely containing his supplies. Kelli was about to reply when she noticed the visitor Daphnes had mentioned standing next to him. But it wasn't Ruto as she had suspected. It was Malon, and her facial expression was no less troubled than Kelli's.

"Likewise," Kelli replied. "And Malon, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be helping your father look after the ranch."

"I know, but he and I both agreed that it would be best if I came here to help Link," Malon replied. "We were told what had happened when one of the guards came by and asked if we had any milk left. The doctor said it may help later. Thankfully, we did have one last bottle and we decided that Link needed it the most. When I saw the blood on Epona's reins and saddle, I nearly screamed. I'm so worried…"

Malon sniffled and then approached Link's bedside. She knelt to his level to gently stroke the bangs of his hair as a tear graced her cheek.

"Indeed," the doctor confirmed. "I did what I could, but I fear it wasn't enough."

"What do you mean?" Kelli wondered nervously, struggling to get the words past a lump in her throat.

"I was able to clean and bandage his wounds easily enough, but Link was attacked quite brutally. There were deep cuts and terrible bruises all over him. He also lost a grave amount of blood due to the deep wound in his stomach. I was able to stop the bleeding, but he's been infected with some sort of illness. It is unlike anything I have ever seen before, and both it and the blood loss have caused him to fall into a coma. What's more, he is also running a very high fever. I'm afraid that unless we find a way to at least remedy this illness, then he will likely not survive."

"Oh no…"

Malon gasped fearfully.

"But-But what about a potion?" she stammered. "Surely a blue one is powerful enough."

"You'd think so, but unfortunately, Link's condition has deteriorated too severely even for that to suffice," the doctor somberly reported. "As things stand now, his final hour draws near."

"W-What?" a familiar voice interrupted. The trio turned to see Ruto standing at the top of the staircase, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Oh… Ruto," Kelli uttered.

"Kelli… You didn't tell me Link was…" Ruto began, unable to finish. She then covered her face with her hands and began bawling.

"…I know. I'm so sorry. I just…I just didn't want to scare you," Kelli admitted shamefacedly.

Malon then approached Ruto and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"So you're Princess Ruto of the Zoras," she greeted. "I know this is hard. Link was…_is_ a good friend of mine as well, and the thought of…losing him… It's more than I can bear."

"Yeah… But you're not the one who…had feelings for him," Ruto pointed out shyly.

"That's true. But, we all loved him dearly, in one way or another. He's done so much for his friends, and all of Hyrule."

"Malon is right, Ruto," Kelli stepped in, approaching the two girls. "And, Link isn't just my friend, he's my partner. Believe me, I'll do anything I can to save him."

"I know…" Ruto admitted, her eyes turning red. "But, this is so heartbreaking. I just heard of what Link had done in Kokiri Forest, Goron City and for my people, and it gave me hope that these troubles might finally be ending. But now, it's as though everything looks darker than ever. But, I can't just go home; I feel as though I'll lose my mind if I don't do _something_. If you've no objections, I wouldn't mind helping out here. My father didn't want me to be gone long, but he'll just have to deal with it. I'm not leaving Link like this, especially not after what he went through to try to save me."

"Link has probably gone through a lot of trouble trying to find the ranch's missing tools as well," Malon added. "It's only right for me to try to help him too. I've already brought our last bottle of milk and cleaned up Epona."

"I can see why you girls are Link's friends," the doctor put in. "If any of this makes you feel better, all of the townsfolk are doing what they can. Soldiers are training hard to make certain the enemy cannot penetrate this town again, and many more are in training. The Gorons have brought iron ore from Death Mountain, and we are working day and night to make weapons and armor, as well as to fortify the village entrance. If we cannot save Link, we will do what he would have done. We will protect Hyrule; for it is only right after everything he's already done for us."

"Wow…" Kelli uttered. "I knew Link was well-respected, but I never expected all of that. I saw a good bit of it on the way in, and I had a hard time believing it. Still, I'm so glad to hear this. Ruto, Malon, of course you both can help! I'm going to go exploring and see if I can find anything that can help Link myself."

"Great! As for what we'll do…" Malon contemplated. "Um… I know! Since the soldiers are preoccupied with their training and holding the village entrance while the wall is being built, Ruto and I can climb the tower near the entrance to Death Mountain and serve as lookouts. We'll be able to spot monsters easily from up there."

"Hey, that's a wonderful idea!" Ruto agreed. "We can see any monsters coming for miles around from up there, and we can sound the alarm so that the soldiers will be ready for any enemies!"

"Sounds good to me," Kelli replied with a smile. "Malon, you remember my song, right? Use it if any of you need to get ahold of me right away."

"Of course," Malon agreed. "Good luck!"

"Thanks!"

With that, Kelli departed the house. She wasn't sure where to begin her search, but suspected that one place would likely serve as well as another. She could only hope that she found something soon, for Link may not have long to live otherwise. And if he passed away, Hyrule would lose a potential Sky Guardian…and would surely be doomed.


	17. Link's Rescue

Chapter 17: Link's Rescue

Kelli charged through the door, nearly ripping it from its hinges, and raced back outside, taking the stairs two at a time. As she wove through the heart of Kakariko, ducking and weaving between the traffic of Hylian and Goron defenders, she frantically mulled over her options for aiding Link. The doctor had stated that Link was suffering from an illness unknown to any Hylian healer, and which even the famed blue potion could not purge. If Link was to survive, Kelli would have to seek out a medicine even more powerful than a blue potion. But, where would she find such a potent concoction? At first, the task seemed hopeless; but she shook these grim thoughts from her mind and forced herself to concentrate. Even in its ravaged state, it was no secret that Hyrule contained many resources. Could the other races of Hyrule possess medicines that the Hylians didn't?

Since Impa was still missing, inquiring about the Sheikahs' healing arts was not possible. The Gorons were well known for being as solid in health and in body as the mountain they called home, so there was likely no help to be found there. And, if the Zoras had anything that might save the dying Link, Ruto surely would have mentioned it by now.

_What about the Gerudo, or maybe the Kokiri? Could they have the medicines we need?_

It seemed possible. For so many years, neither tribe could be safely approached by outsiders in most circumstances. And, even now, the Hylians knew very little about either the forest children or the desert women. Maybe one of those tribes possessed some means to save Link? The possibility sparked a glimmer of hope in Kelli, but it began to dim almost immediately. Even with Sunfire, travelling to either the Kokiri Forest or the Gerudo Fortress and returning might take days. Reaching the Gerudo Valley would be especially dangerous, since she'd have to cross the monster patrolled Hyrule Field and get past whatever evils surely lurked in the desert lands. The journey to the Kokiri Forest would be much shorter but, if her hunt took her to the Lost Woods, then the time she hoped to save would likely be wasted twice over navigating the sylvan labyrinth.

And, if she came away from either destination empty-handed…she could not finish the thought, but yet another grim musing sprang to mind nonetheless. Ever since Ganondorf's banishment, relations between the Gerudo and the rest of Hyrule had greatly improved, and trade began in earnest as the desert thieves became merchants. The Gerudo could create many wondrous elixirs from the exotic plants of the desert, but nothing equaling, much less surpassing, the blue potion had ever been sold by the Gerudo.

As secretive as the Gerudo could be, they'd never be silent when there was money to be made.

And, upon further reflection, the young Sky Guardian was forced to admit that the Kokiri Forest didn't seem any more promising. Granted, the "Source of Life" lived up to its reputation, but she already knew that there were no healing plants in the Kokiri Forest which could not be found elsewhere. Indeed, all manner of healing herbs in Hyrule had been documented and experimented with to create the strongest medicines known. And, thus far, the blue potion was the finest concoction yet produced.

But, Hyrule was hardly the only country experimenting in the healing arts.

During her adventures abroad, Kelli learned the hard way that there were some other powerful remedies available in Mayia. Yet, traveling there and back could take weeks. She rather doubted that Link had that kind of time. And, even if she did reach Mayia quickly enough, she probably wouldn't be able to afford the medicine anyway. As Kelli recalled, the merchants in Mayia had a bad habit of raising their prices at the worst possible times; and, if they did have such valuable medicine, it would surely be very expensive. Still, the young Sky Guardian seemed to have only one choice.

It was dangerous, but Kelli had managed to survive many hair-raising escapades over the years. She only hoped that her luck wouldn't fail her now.

"Where exactly are we going next, Kelli?" Vira wondered.

"Well," Kelli began, trying to keep a hint of anxiety from her tone, "We already know that no Hylian doctor can treat Link. So, our only real option is to look elsewhere."

"Yeah, I figured. What about the Kokiri Forest? It has all kinds of mushrooms, herbs, and other plants that could be made into medicine! Or, maybe the Gerudo Fortress? They might be able to make what we need from those desert herbs that they were selling before all this trouble began."

"Sorry, but I don't think either would help. From what Saria told me, the plants in the forest can grow elsewhere. If they could be made into something stronger than a blue potion, I think someone would have managed it by now. We'd likely be wasting time going there there. And, the Gerudo Fortress is way too far. Most likely, it's controlled by the monsters as well. Besides, if the Gerudo could make something stronger than a blue potion, they would've started selling it long ago."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Frankly, I'm at a loss. What do you have in mind?"

_Boy, are you in for a surprise,_ Kelli mused unhappily.

"Well," Kelli began, weighing her words as she spoke them, "The way I see it, we have only one choice. I'm thinking we may have to leave Hyrule for a while."

Vira nearly fell out of the air.

"_WHAT?_" the fairy screeched at the top of her tiny lungs. "But, we don't know what's out there! I know we've left the kingdom once before, but back then, we actually knew what we were doing!"

"I know," Kelli replied, painfully aware of just ironic those words were in the face of her plan to venture blindly into the unknown. "But, I feel it's our best chance to find the medicine Link needs. We already know that nothing in Hyrule will help him, and travelling to Mayia would take too long. So, this is the only option we have."

"Well… Alright. Just promise me that you'll be—EEEK!"

Before the purple fairy could finish her sentence, a sudden, chilly wind erupted from nowhere and shrieked over the village. Vira latched onto Kelli's hair to keep from blowing away but, within seconds, her teeth were chattering and tiny icicles had formed on her wings. Kelli, nearly sent sprawling by the gale, wrapped her arms around her torso in a vain attempt to ward off the cold. And, the icy gale bore down upon the rest of the village as well. Some children and elders had been blown clean off their feet, window shutters and loose roof slats were torn free, the windmill blades spun wildly until they blurred to invisibility and the Gorons, who liked the cold about as much as they did Dodongos, began shivering wretchedly.

"What the—? You've g-got to be kidding me!" Kelli exclaimed in bewilderment as she too shivered. "We j-just cleansed the Fortress of Ice! Where in b-blazes is this coming f-from?"

"I d-don't know, but look up!" Vira shouted over the gale, gesturing towards the sky. Kelli then followed the fairy's gaze and found that the sky, which had been clear and sunny a moment ago, was now overcast with grimly leaden clouds. Before Kelli could even believe what her eyes were telling her, the gale became laden with falling snow, transforming the wind into a veritable blizzard.

"Oh, th-this just gets better and better," Kelli uttered sarcastically, her words barely audible over the wind.

"B-But what's causing this?" Vira asked through chattering teeth. "It's the middle of summer."

"It's g-gotta be the J-Jewel of Ice. T-The Zoras' waterfall s-stopped when the J-Jewel of Wind was c-cursed, right? The J-jewel of Ice must be c-cursed too."

"Oh no! Th-Then that means—"

"The curse has c-caused it to summon a b-blizzard. If we don't b-break the c-curse, the b-blizzard will k-keep getting stronger u-until it flattens the village."

"But w-we haven't any idea w-where the jewel is!"

"True. L-Let's try f-finding the d-direction the wind is c-coming from."

"Uhh, okay…"

"And w-would you look at th-that. It's coming f-from behind the w-windmill. Right where w-we were h-headed."

"Oh j-joy."

With that, the young Sky Guardian bent into the wind and, with Vira clinging to her for dear life, trudged into the teeth of the gale. With each step, the blizzard seemed to gain in force, icy blasts clawing into Kelli's eyes every time she tried to glance upward. However, as she trudged onward, she noticed that the sound of the windmill's furiously spinning blades grew louder.

"I th-think it might b-be coming from behind th-the windmill!" Vira shouted, her words nearly lost to the wind.

"I think y-you might be r-right!" Kelli bellowed in reply. "Let's g-get up th-there!"

The two laboriously made their way up to the windmill, fighting their way through the fierce wind step by step. As they climbed, Kelli stole occasional glances back at the village and saw, to her dismay, that the blizzard was, indeed, slowly gaining strength. The small carpet of ice crystals was now ankle deep, and the wind howled all the more furiously, kicking up blinding clouds of ivory dust. If the blizzard remained unchecked for much longer, the village would be covered in snow and ice, and its people might very well have to flee…like as not, into the waiting arms of the monsters. Yet, if they stayed, they'd likely be no better off. The village's crops surely couldn't grow in such conditions, and the water supply would likely freeze solid. What's more, many villagers and soldiers could lose fingers, toes, or even entire limbs to frostbite. Not long after that, people would be dying from hunger or the cold; and Link would freeze to death before he could ever wake from his coma. That grim portent spurred Kelli onward and, before long, she had circled around to the back of the windmill. Ultimately, she came to a sight that evoked equal parts fond memories of the past and grim promises of the future: the fence.

The lands beyond the northeast boundaries of the village, and beyond Hyrule itself, lay beyond that rough wooden barrier…as did too, apparently, the source of the blizzard.

Kelli could see little more than ten feet beyond the fence, but she knew the familiar, seemingly benign vista of trees and grass was still there. She and Judo had come here to see it often enough, when no one was watching.

Everyone had said that nobody who crossed the fence had come back alive, but Kelli and Judo had done so.

After all, that was how she got saddled with the duties of being the Guardian of the Sun.

The experience had been harrowing, but it didn't stop Kelli from betting Judo five rupees that she'd be the first of the pair to dare the unknown lands a second time.

_ Me and my big mouth!_

Well, she won the bet. Hopefully, she'd live long enough to collect…and, Judo was still around to pay up.

Still, the wind was clearly coming from the veiled horizon of the unknown; and, she would seek it out. Before she could attempt to climb over, however, a masculine voice called out to her.

"L-Lady Kelli! Where are you g-going?" a nearby soldier inquired, practically screaming so his words were not lost to the wind.

"To the l-lands beyond that f-fence, of course," Kelli replied, hoping she looked more confident than she felt.

"_W-WHAT?_ Are y-you crazy? N-Nobody who c-crosses that f-fence has ever come b-back!"

Kelli considered mentioning that she herself had done so, but decided she couldn't afford to waste anymore time.

"I kn-know that. Don't even th-think about trying to s-stop me. I have a strong h-hunch that that's where the s-source of this blizzard is. I h-have to find it, o-or we'll all f-freeze to death."

"Well… Alright, I'll admit th-that you're p-probably right. Just be v-very careful. We m-might be a-able to hold the v-village against the monsters, b-but I don't like our odds i-if we lose y-you too."

"I u-understand. When I w-was little, n-nobody really knew w-what was o-out there. I d-don't suppose th-that's changed while I w-was gone?"

"N-Not really. This path h-has been sealed off f-for centuries; and ever s-since, few p-people have left Hyrule's borders. All we kn-know are a couple r-routes to Mayia as well as M-Mayia itself. L-Like I said, a-anybody who c-climbed the f-fence never c-came back."

"I see. That figures."

"However, th-there has always been a rumor that s-some of those unknown lands w-were once part of our k-kingdom. T-The Royal Library, b-before the m-monsters b-burned it down, h-had books that b-backed up that s-story, we've c-come to call it Lost Hyrule."

"W-Wow. Interesting."

"Lady Kelli, as I s-said before, if you m-must go there, tread cautiously. Goddesses know what d-dangers lie out there."

"Don't w-worry. I will."

"J-Just how are you planning t-to get through, though?"

"Well, the f-first time I did that, I c-climbed over. Now, though, I h-have a better id-dea."

Before the guard could summon a reply to the young Sky Guardian's startling declaration, Kelli gave the Flame Staff a twirl and flung a fireball at the fence. It burst into flames almost instantly, the blaze greedily chewing a gap in the sturdy barricade. The charred wood crumbled into ash, opening a gap.

"Oh wow," the soldier commented, his eyes widening. "I'd ask y-you to use that th-thing on the snow around h-here, but you could accidentally s-set the whole p-place on fire."

"Right. I'll b-be back as soon as I c-can."

With that, Kelli flung one handful of snow after another onto the flames until they were doused, and then proceeded through the smoldering gap.

On the other side, Kelli found herself in a snow-covered forest, with the winds of the blizzard still raging at her as though attempting to force her backwards. Even with the snow, however, Kelli still knew where she was. She had been in this area once before, with Judo, when the two had first discovered the Sun Sword and Sun Shield. Heady with the spirit of adventure, they had climbed the fence and ventured into the unknown. They hadn't planned to go far but, as excited as they were, they pressed further and further into the mysterious lands beyond Hyrule's borders. Within less than an hour, however, the children had strayed upon unstable ground and found themselves plunging into the cave, illuminated only by the faint sunlight shining through the hole through which the two children had fallen. That cave, Kelli now knew, was the Sun Shrine, which held the sword and shield she now wielded. The recollection caused Kelli to feel another pang of longing, and she wished that she could search for more traces of that journey she had taken with her missing friend so long ago. But, she knew that finding anything in the current weather conditions would be impossible. She'd be digging through layers and layers of snow for hours until her limbs fell off from frostbite.

Although Kelli clearly remembered the wondrous Sun Shrine, her memory failed her when she tried to recall its location. She would probably have known the entrance when she saw it, if not for the blanket of snow covering everything. Still, she continued to scan the horizon, searching for anything familiar amidst the relentlessly biting winds. Although she could not be certain, but a feeling in her gut was telling Kelli that the source of the blizzard was within the shrine.

"Vira… I think we sh-should go to th-the Sun Shrine," she shouted over the gale a few minutes later.

"The S-Sun Shrine? Y-You mean the place you g-got your sword?" Vira replied, nearly hoarse by this time from yelling over the wind. "But h-how do you kn-know that that's where th-the jewel is? And f-for that matter, how are y-you going to find it?"

"Well… We'll j-just have to hope that I—WAAAH!"

Before Kelli could finish her sentence, she felt the ground shudder and then crumble away beneath her feet, sending her hurtling down through a hidden crevice. The ground surrounding the crevice continued to give way, snow pouring in. Kelli landed with the wind knocked out of her, but was otherwise unharmed.

"'Drop in?'" Vira finished with a chuckle.

"…Yeah, very funny!" Kelli replied in annoyance after a piercing scream left her mouth from the chill of the snow that crashed down on top of her. "N-Now get down here."

"Yeah, yeah, alr-right."

While Kelli irritably dug herself out of the snow, Vira fluttered down the hole and rejoined her friend. After finally freeing herself from the snow drift, Kelli quickly scanned her surroundings. She was clearly inside a cave; though as it was above ground, the harsh wind howled within as well. Some of the walls were encrusted with frost, while icicles rose from the floor and plunged from the ceiling like jaws. Further ahead, part of the rocky floor was blanketed with ice.

"Vira, this m-must the Sun Shrine. I'm s-sure of it," Kelli uttered moments later.

"B-But how do you know?" Vira wondered, massaging her sore throat.

"I _don't_ know, I just feel it. But th-there is one w-way I can prove it."

With that, Kelli began examining each wall, frantically looking for a special marker that would, indeed, prove that the cave was none other than the Sun Shrine. When she peered through a sheet of ice on an almost sheer section of the left wall, a smile formed on her freezing face.

"I knew it."

The Guardian of the Sun then drew her sword and struck the ice as hard as she could. The frost shattered upon impact, revealing Kelli's discovery within. It was an image of a sun carved into the wall. However, this image did not look exactly like the actual symbol of the respective Sky Guardian. It was a simpler drawing, a child's drawing. What's more, inside the sun were letters that read _J and K _with the word _Forever_ inscribed below them.

"Kel… Did y-you and Judo..?" Vira began, her words punctuated by stretches of shocked silence.

"Yep. He and I dr-drew this so anyone who s-saw it would kn-know what a true close f-friendship is…" Kelli replied, her voice breaking in the middle of her sentence. She gazed upon the old carving for a few more moments, a tear escaping her eye as she recalled her absent friend. She missed Judo more than ever now, but she would not give up her search for him until the two were reunited at last. Kelli sniffled before speaking up again.

"Well, w-we can't stand around here all day. Let's g-go."

With that, Kelli proceeded deeper into the cavern, Vira following closely behind. What they found at the far end, however, was not at all pleasing. Beyond lay a fairly large chamber. Before either of them could say anything, however, a stone wall slammed shut behind them, sealing them inside. Kelli then looked ahead once more and counted six sealed doors on the opposite side of the room. Each had a unique rune inscribed on the wall above them. Kelli froze where she stood as she realized what she had stumbled upon.

"Oh no…" she groused. "This c-can't be happening."

"W-What? What is it?" Vira wondered.

"Those d-doors are the product of a spell c-called the _Manu Propria_," Kelli explained. "Link and I w-went through another c-chamber like this just before we f-found you."

Kelli then described how the spell worked, and the challenge she and Link had been faced with in the cave back in the Kakariko Graveyard.

"Yeesh…" Vira commented. "This is g-going to be trouble."

"I agree."

Kelli knew that Vira was more correct than she realized. The Sky Guardian knew how to proceed through an area enchanted by the _Manu Propria_ spell and was aware of how tough the conjured monsters could be if she made a mistake in figuring out the correct order of the runes. The only difference was that, if she did make such a mistake, she didn't have Link to help her this time around, and that alone would make things much more difficult. She'd have to solve the runes and fight off any conjured monsters on her own. She'd also have to work fast, for each delay brought Link closer to death. And, to top it all off, Kelli couldn't help but suspect that the _Manu Propria_ she faced now had been altered in some way. The runes could be more complex, and the conjured monsters might be more dangerous as well.

"W-Well? We can't just s-sit here," Vira pointed out. "Link d-doesn't have much time!"

"I know… I'm just n-nervous," Kelli admitted. "But I've g-got to do this for him."

With that, Kelli began flexing her hands and fingers to recreate the shapes of the runes, as she and Link had done the first time they encountered the _Manu Propria_. She managed to guess the first two correctly, but unfortunately, the third glowed red instead of white. Without warning, a pair of Wolfos, one with golden eyes and the other with navy eyes, were spawned from the crimson rune and slowly crept towards Kelli, their fangs dripping with saliva. Kelli quickly drew her sword and un-slung her shield, but before she could move, the two beasts lunged at her. Thankfully, the Guardian of the Sun was fast enough to bring up her shield and brace herself against the onslaught. The first Wolfos collided with the shield, knocked away and stunned by the impact. The second, meanwhile, was carried by its leap onto the edge of Kelli's blade, the creature's left side very nearly impaled.

As the wounded Wolfos fell to the ground, Kelli then focused her attention on its partner. She quickly side-stepped its next assault and swung her foot into its chest, likely smashing a couple ribs in the process. Afterward, only a few quick strikes from the Sun Sword were needed to finish off the creatures.

"N-No creature in here is g-getting any mercy from me!" Kelli declared angrily as she sheathed her bloody sword moments later.

"Now th-that's the Kelli I know!" Vira replied, bouncing up and down in midair.

With that, Kelli hastened to decipher the riddle of the runes. The monsters, it seemed, were easy enough to defeat, but she knew she could not afford too many delays.

Link's life yet hung in the balance.

Thankfully, she managed to solve the runes after only one more accidental summoning of Wolfos. This was fortunate, as the young Sky Guardian knew she would need to work fast and save her strength if she were to successfully conquer the challenges ahead. There was no doubt in Kelli's mind that whatever awaited her could end up pushing her to her limits. After all, if the source of the evil which had befallen Hyrule knew of Link's condition, it would surely seek to stop her.

What she found on the other side of the newly revealed door, however, was completely unexpected. Instead of another chamber with six more doors and accompanying runes, Kelli found herself faced with four tunnels snaking deeper into the shrine.

Except, this room wasn't here during her childhood visit.

"This is wrong," she remarked. "There should just be one corridor here, not four."

Having a thought, Kelli scooped up a handful of pebbles and began hurling them through each tunnel. When the tiny rocks skittered over the floor, instead of passing through some illusion and vanishing into some sort of hidden death trap, Kelli wasn't sure if she should sigh with relief or fume angrily.

Whatever monsters now controlled the shrine, it seemed, had been busy. Not only had they cursed the Sun Shrine with the _Manu Propria_ spell, but they were also able to use powerful enchantments to create a maze of tunnels as well. The tunnels did not seem to have illusionary floors hiding death traps, but they might hold other dangers. And, if Kelli guessed correctly, these new tunnels would likely have dead ends and monsters waiting inside each of them.

"W-What the—? This is nuts!" Vira exclaimed, literally freezing where she floated.

Kelli merely growled.

"And it's really s-starting to get on my nerves," she replied, her hands clenching into fists. "We w-won't get anywhere s-standing around here though, so l-let's just pick a tunnel and h-hope for the best."

"Right."

With that, Kelli proceeded down the second tunnel from the left. Unfortunately, luck was not with her. The twisting path ended abruptly, with only a dead end and an Armozard awaiting her. She quickly drew her sword once more and charged, though she realized that its golden eyes indicated that it was a sun aligned monster. As far as Kelli was concerned, she didn't care who or what she faced. She just wanted to find a way to save Link. And when she finally crossed paths with Dark Kelli, the Guardian of the Sun would make her evil counterpart pay dearly for what she had done to the dying hero.

After closing the distance, Kelli thrust her shield forward and struck the Armozard full in the chest. The blow fell so hard that the creature lost its footing and slammed into the wall behind it. Kelli looked on with grim satisfaction. Her shield attack was still likely slower than Link's, but at least she could finally use it. Better still, it stunned the creature long enough for her to deal several fatal slashes to the Armozard's torso. Even though the beast was resistant to Kelli's blade, it nonetheless fell in a matter of seconds.

"D-Dang… Kel, are you r-really that angry about w-what Dark Kelli did to Link?" Vira wondered, regarding the Armozard's corpse with no small amount of shock.

"Yeah, th-that, and this g-goddess forsaken blizzard," Kelli replied, her chest heaving with anger and exertion. "I'd r-rather vent my t-temper on D-Dark Kelli, but these m-monsters will have t-to do. Though, I w-will admit that these s-sun monsters are h-hard to bring down. My S-Sun Sword isn't m-meant to f-fight them. I'll b-be glad when and if Link gets the M-Moon Sword."

"Yeah, I'll bet."

An experimental tap with her sword confirmed that the wall she'd plastered the Armozard into was quite solid, so Kelli made her way back down the tunnel to take another path. As Kelli pressed on, she noticed something peculiar. Ever since she entered the shrine, snow had been billowing in. At first, she thought it might be coming from the crevice she had fallen through, but when she returned to the branching tunnels, she realized the snow was coming from _ahead_ of her instead of from behind.

_Now, I'm sure of it. This has got to be the right place!_

This revelation spurred her onward, but she remained wary. Most likely, another _Manu Propria_ chamber stood between her and her goal, and the next tunnel would lead her there. It didn't matter how many monsters she had to carve her way through or what traps might lie in wait. Kelli wasn't going to give up until she recovered the Jewel of Ice. Thankfully, the next tunnel she chose turned out to be the correct one. At its far end, another stone door admitted her and then sealed her inside. And, as before, the Sky Guardian was faced with six more doors and their accompanying runes. Kelli's first attempt to dismantle the puzzle conjured a pair of Lizalfos, but it made little difference to her. She pulverized them the same way she had the Wolfos in the previous chamber. Perhaps the gravity of her mission had unlocked some hidden wellspring of power in her being, or maybe the Sun Shrine itself had somehow empowered the bearer of its treasures. Whatever the cause, Kelli had never felt so powerful. Her shield attacks could send Armozards sprawling, her attacks blurred to invisibility and her sword arm could cleave through Dodongo hides with one blow. Even Dark Kelli would've probably been hard-pressed if she were to engage her counterpart now.

Kelli soon overcame the second _Manu Propria_ and continued through the shrine. Beyond lay a veritable gauntlet, consisting of several more mazes of tunnels separating small chambers that contained the _Manu Propria_ puzzles. More and more monsters lurked within each tunnel, but the Guardian of the Sun relentlessly pressed on and overcame each one, no matter how tough they were. She faced more Armozards, Lizalfos, Dinolfos, Armosaurs, Freezards, and even Stalfos and Wolfos. Lizalfos Knights and their White Wolfos mounts also began to appear as well. Since more snow was billowing in to carpet the shrine floor and encrust the walls ice, Kelli was certain she was getting closer to the source of the frigid curse. Sometime later, Kelli entered the sixth, and hopefully, final, _Manu Propria_ chamber. The runes in this room proved marginally more dangerous than their predecessors, for they conjured two Lizalfos Knights and one Stalfos with every error the Sun Guardian made. Yet, that strange font of power that had bubbled to life in Kelli's being still lent her might beyond any she'd possessed before, and she had no trouble executing a dizzying array of powerful spin attacks and following each with peerlessly lethal ending blows to vanquish her enemies.

By the time she was finished and unlocked the way forward, however, Kelli's exertions seemed to be catching up to her. The Sun Guardian's chest heaved, her posture was stooped and sweat had begun to trickle and freeze into icy veins winding down the sides of her head. Between this, and the steadily deepening cold of the shrine, she felt colder than she had while fighting Arcquaos in the Fortress of Ice. Even so, she pressed forward and, much to her relief, there was neither another knot of tunnels nor yet another _Manu Propria_ chamber beyond. Instead, there was only one tunnel on the other side. Kelli was not hesitant to follow it in hopes that it would lead her to the Jewel of Ice and a means of taming the accursed blizzard. It turned out to be a short tunnel and within moments, Kelli found another stone door. Upon entering, she found herself inside another large chamber. This time, however, there were no more runes or doors ahead. It was a circular room, bare and empty, with no entrance save the one she just came through. Kelli had a suspicion about what this portended, and made sure the grip of her sword was in easy reach.

Kelli had taken no more than a few steps inside the room when, as she expected, the door behind her slammed shut and sealed her in. A split second later, what appeared to be a navy-eyed Stalfos emerged from the floor. However, unlike other Stalfos, it was more heavily armored, its bleached skull encompassed by a helmet with a pair of menacing horns, and a larger, more angular shield was strapped to the undead warrior's arm. More peculiar still, it didn't immediately charge towards Kelli and engage her either. Instead, it chuckled deviously and then brought its bony fingers to its mouth, and let out a shrill whistle.

"Oh no…" Kelli uttered. She had seen this a few times before in Mayia. Seconds after the Stalfos whistled, a monstrous skeletal horse unearthed itself from the ground nearby. The Stalfos then swung itself atop the undead mount and yanked on the creature's reins, forcing it to rear back on its hind legs and neigh ferociously.

"Eeee!" Vira yelped, darting behind Kelli's shoulder again. "Th-That's not what I th-think it is, is it…?"

"Sorry, Vira, there's n-no doubt about it," Kelli replied in frustration. "It's a Stalknight. I had a f-feeling we'd eventually s-see these guys again."

Before Vira could reply, the Stalknight suddenly spurred its horse to a gallop and charged towards Kelli. The Sun Guardian, despite the cold air seeming to numb her from head to toe, was just barely quick enough to dive out of the way. Unfortunately, she landed on an icy section of the floor and was sent sliding into the wall.

"Aah!" she yelped. The Stalknight, its jaw clacking in what might've been a laugh, rode towards his seemingly helpless prey but, thankfully, the ice worked to Kelli's advantage this time. With a strong shove off the wall, Kelli sent herself shooting out of the horse's path, giving her the time she needed to regain her feet.

"Ugh, it's been t-too long since I l-last fought one of these…" she groused.

"Yeah…" Vira agreed. "Oh, w-wait! I remember what t-to do! Get rid of the h-horse!"

"Oh, that's right!" Kelli realized.

She then recalled that a Stalknight was, in truth, no more deadly than a regular Stalfos once it was unhorsed. The only difference was that Stalknights wore more armor and thus, could withstand more punishment than its lesser cousins.

As the Stalknight spun its mount and charged at Kelli, its blade angled for the kill, the Guardian of the Sun contemplated on possible strategies. She remembered that the horses Stalknights rode were too big for her shield attack to be effective, so stunning them that way would not work. In fact, there didn't seem to be any way she could truly stun it at all. She would have to do this the hard way. However, the horse moved so quickly that landing a blow at all would prove to be difficult. Kelli's thoughts were interrupted moments later when the Stalknight charged past her. The Sun Guardian thought to strike the creature's flanks as it passed when, suddenly, the skeletal knight brought his horse to a halt. Without warning, the creature lurched forward on its forelimbs and attempted to drive the hooves of its hind limbs into Kelli's chest. She raised her shield to deflect the blow but, while she managed to prevent the attack from shattering her torso, the sheer force of the impact had sent her hurtling to the floor. However, Kelli could've sworn she heard a cracking sound in the process…besides the ones that sounded like her ribs, that is.

"Whoa! Kel! The horse's b-back legs are cracked a little!" Vira pointed out, as if catching her friend's thoughts.

"Ah, that's it!" Kelli replied. "I h-have to attack the legs!"

With that, Kelli carefully watched the Stalknight as it continued to attempt to trample her and then strike her with the horse's hooves as she whirled away. After a few near-misses, she was able to gauge the timing of these attacks, and within minutes, she leapt out of its path once again and landed a successful blow to the horse's back legs in mid-flight. Thankfully, the horse's eyes revealed it to be moon-aligned, like its rider, allowing Kelli to deal heavy damage with each blow. This wasn't an easy tactic, being a half-second too slow would mean being trampled or having her chest smashed in, but from what Kelli remembered, the only way to eliminate a Stalknight's mount for good was to break the skeleton apart and destroy the bones. Much like their riders, the horses could reassemble themselves after a short period of time. Only bombs could destroy them utterly and, luckily for her, she had plenty.

With that, Kelli repeated the strategy as many times as she could. After she dealt several stabs and shield attacks to the horse's limbs, the creature's legs finally gave away sometime later, causing it to lost its balance and crash to the floor. Its rider was thrown from the saddle, sent toppling to the hard floor and skittering away on the ice. While the Stalknight remained dazed on the floor, Kelli quickly set a bomb next to the pile of horse bones and darted away. She then produced her bow, readied an arrow on the bowstring, and aimed it right at the bomb. When the arrow struck, the explosive detonated instantly, shattering the bones to dust. Moments later, the Stalknight recovered its wits and, letting out a ghastly scream at seeing its mount's demise, scrambled to its feet and readied its sword and shield. The unhorsed knight lunged forward and, within moments, clashed blades with Kelli.

From then on, the room resounded with the echoes of their blades. Blows were dealt back and forth and although Kelli held the advantage with her blade, the chilly weather threatened to turn the balance. She could never stop shivering, nor work the stiffness from her frozen limbs, while the cold had little to no effect on her foe at all. What's more, as the battle drew on, the Stalknight seemed to capitalize on this advantage, and cuts and bruises from near-misses soon bespangled Kelli's limbs and torso. The creature was able to use at least some of the techniques Kelli herself knew, just as Link had once described from an encounter he'd had with some Stalfos earlier. Still, the fight wasn't exactly going well for the Stalknight either, as Kelli had been giving as she got, if not more. Eventually, however, Kelli's growing exhaustion took a toll on her, and she knew she needed to end the battle soon. If not, she would fall.

Thankfully, the opportunity she was looking for arose moments later. The Stalknight leaped into the air and aimed a jump attack at Kelli, only to have her sidestep out of the way. Kelli then launched a spin attack while the creature was rendered vulnerable by the blow's follow-through. And as she had hoped, the blow was enough to knock it to the floor and reduce its body to a pile of bones, much like his undead mount. Kelli would have preferred to use a strengthened spin attack or even the Hurricane Spin, but she knew was far too exhausted and wounded to perform such powerful techniques. Even so, she lost no time setting a bomb near the bones and detonating it with an arrow, as she had with the horse's corpse. The bones were shattered to powder by the explosion, finally ending the brawl for good. Kelli stooped forward, resting her hands on her knees and panted, exhausted from her ordeal. She was shaken back to reality, however, when a section of the wall seemed to rise. After a moment's astonishment, Kelli realized that what she had taken for a blank was, in reality, a concealed door.

"Heh… F-Finally…" Kelli uttered and hobbled towards it. Her limbs were now so cold that the blood that trickled from her wounds was now frozen and stuck to her skin while her fingers and toes felt ready to fall off of her. Even so, the heroine limped through the newly opened chamber, praying that the Jewel of Ice was inside.

The goddesses had answered her prayers, for the room Kelli found herself in was a tiny chamber containing only an altar topped by a pedestal. Above the pedestal was a cloud of darkness, from which shrieked a ferociously cold wind. Kelli hadn't taken more than a few steps inside, however, when the cloud began to dissipate and vanish, revealing a bright, icy blue light. The light faded as well, revealing a light blue gemstone shaped to resemble five conjoined icicles, two on top and three on the bottom. Undoubtedly, it was the Jewel of Ice. As the darkness and light surrounding the jewel faded, the wind fell silent. Even better, the snow and ice throughout the chamber began to melt. Water from the ceiling plunged down onto Kelli and Vira, but the area's drastically rising temperature more than made up for it.

As she gazed upon the jewel, a smile slowly formed on Kelli's numb, blue lips.

"Such a relief," she said. "Now nowhere in Hyrule should ever freeze over like that again."

"You said it. Now let's get the jewel and get out of here," Vira replied.

"Right."

With that, Kelli took the Jewel of Ice from its resting place. Suddenly, the entire chamber began to tremble.

"W-What's going on here?" Vira gasped. "Is this an earthquake?"

"I'm not sure!" Kelli replied, struggling to keep her balance. Before she could say anything else, however, a blinding light filled the room, forcing the two friends to shield their eyes.

Moments later, the light vanished. After her vision cleared, Kelli discovered that her surroundings had changed. The chamber she now stood in was familiar, very familiar, in fact. Another small pedestal now rose in front of her in the center of a slightly raised platform whose surface was inscribed with a large sun. A silver hook was thrust into the wall behind it while two lit torches burned on either side.

"Vira! The shrine has returned to normal!" she exclaimed.

"Really? So this is what it looked like before that curse messed it up?" Vira replied.

"That's right. I recognize everything in here. My sword once sat in that pedestal, and my shield hung on the wall from that hook. This place brings back so many memories…"

"Wow…"

"Yeah."

Before either of the two could say anything else, a light, cool breeze blew through the tunnel and the Fairy of Winds appeared before them.

"Kelli," she greeted. "It does my heart good to see you unharmed…well, in large part."

"Oh, Fairy of Winds," Kelli replied. "If I live long enough to save Hyrule, I am going to spend a week in the Mayian hot-springs. But, that'll have to wait. I'm…sure you know about Link…"

"I do, indeed," the Fairy of Winds replied, her voice heavy with sadness. "It's quite unfortunate, to put it lightly, that he was brutalized so. Even I did not expect the foe he faced to be so strong. But Kelli, you must listen to me if he is to survive. Only you can save him."

"But what am I supposed to do?"

"That, you must discover on your own. But, I can tell you this. You already have the medicine you need. You cannot see it now, but you will in time."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"Yeah, I can't seem to make sense of it," Vira added.

"You'll know soon enough. Trust me," the Fairy of Winds assured.

"Well, alright…" Kelli replied, though she sounded far from certain.

"I bid you farewell for now."

With that, the Fairy of Winds vanished, leaving a bewildered Kelli to mull over the Fairy's cryptic advice. Then, as Kelli's gaze moved to the Jewel of Ice, a thought struck her.

"…Hey, I just thought of something!" she said excitedly. "The Jewel of Ice might be able to break Link's fever! Maybe that's what we need to do!""

"Yeah, that just might work! Let's hurry!" Vira agreed.

"Don't have to tell me twice!"

With that, the two hurried back through the shrine. Since the Sun Shrine had been returned to its normal state, the knots of tunnels and _Manu Propria_ chambers had been replaced by a single passage leading back to the entrance. Upon reaching it, Kelli spied a stone ladder ascending to the surface, allowing an easy means of leaving. Another wave of nostalgia hit her then, but she just nodded approvingly and intoned, "Right where I left you."

As with the inside of the shrine, the outside too now looked as Kelli recalled from her first, childhood journey. The snow and ice had all melted away and the clouds in the sky had disappeared, replaced by a triumphant summer sun. The trees and shrubs were now green again and paths that had been blocked off by snow were now passable once more. Streams of water, liberated from their icy prisons, now flowed freely again and wildlife which had been driven into hiding or away all together now returned. Kelli was glad to see this and quietly reveled in the returned warmth. She had no doubt that Kakariko was back to normal as well, and couldn't wait to return there. She was quite eager to test her theory that the Jewel of Ice could save Link and, after having done so, soak in a hot bath for the next twelve hours. Before she could take more than a few steps, however, a familiar tune filled the air. It was Kelli's own melody.

"Huh? Malon?" she guessed. "Is that you?"

"Oh, Kelli! Thank goodness! You have to come back here quickly!" Malon's voice called out in reply. Although Kelli's song could not relay any voices or sounds, save that of the sender, the ranch girl's tone suggested that she was in tears. And, this musing caused Kelli's eyes to bulge and her frostbitten face to pale.

"Why? What's going on?" Kelli frantically wondered.

"It's Link! His heart has stopped!"

"What? That can't be! Is the doctor trying to revive him?"

"Yeah, but he hasn't had any success yet! Please hurry!"

"Don't worry, I'm on my way back right now. I have something that might help him!"

"Alright, I just hope it works!"

With that, Malon's voice faded and their telepathic connection was severed. Kelli quickly broke into a run, racing back to Kakariko as fast as her legs could carry her. Her knowledge of anatomy was less-than-comprehensive, but she knew that once a person's heart stopped beating, there was only a brief window of opportunity to restart the flow of blood before that person was beyond all help. A physician she'd met in Mayia, who had handled several such patients following Notu's rampage, relayed this as he tended the wounded in the Mayian capital.

_ "When somebody survives that,"_ he'd commented, pointing to the heavens, _"It's because they had a hand in it."_

Hopefully, the gods would be on Link's side as well, and would not let him die.

Kelli tried to tell herself that, even if the doctor could do nothing for Link, the would-be Guardian of the Moon might not be beyond help. Although it had been many generations since Sky Guardians roamed the world, the Goddesses nonetheless had their ways of making sure their champions did not fail.

Despite this, Kelli found herself running all the faster.

When she arrived in Kakariko, Kelli leaped from the cliff that overlooked the cucco pen, launched into a forward roll so that her legs wouldn't take the brunt of the impact, and immediately rushed for Impa's house. Hylians and Gorons still milled about the village, some shouting their thanks to Kelli for dispelling the blizzard, but she had little time to reply. She was already panting by the time she passed by the well, but the Guardian of the Sun did not slow down. Every second that passed meant a greater chance that Link was now dead. When Kelli finally dashed up the stairs leading to Impa's house, she immediately barged through the door and darted up the stairs to join Malon and the doctor. Ruto was absent, but probably doing her shift atop the lookout tower.

As before, Link lay in his bed swathed in bandages and motionless, but Kelli could not tell whether or not he was still alive. She quickly rushed over to Malon and the doctor, who were looking over him worriedly. Navi was hovering nearby as well, fluttering in anxious circles through the air much the same way another would pace back and forth.

"Oh, Kelli!" Malon called out. "You made it back! Oh my, you're wounded!"

"Yeah, but these injuries are nothing," Kelli assured, realizing with horror that the doctor was not pumping Link's chest or doing anything else. "Oh no. Is Link…? Is he…?"

"Ah, Lady Kelli," the doctor replied, beckoning her to approach. "Don't worry, I managed to get his heart beating again just before you arrived."

"Oh, thank goodness," Kelli replied, panting as she felt relief wash over her.

"I can't guarantee it will stay that way, though," the doctor warned. "In fact, his heart could fail again at any time. Malon said you might have a possible remedy for Link's illness?"

"Ah, yes. Sort of. I doubt it will cure it, but I think it can at leastbring down his fever."

"That would surely help. Let's try it."

"Alright."

With that, Kelli produced the Jewel of Ice and held it before Link. Within moments, it began to glow brightly, and a cool breeze erupted from its core. It swept over Link, tossing his blonde bangs and sending a wave of chills through the house. Malon shivered a bit, but likely more from anxiety than the temperature, while the doctor seemed unperturbed. Navi and Vira beat their wings to keep them from freezing while Kelli felt relaxed by the cool breeze after her mad dash back to the house. After a minute or so, the breeze died down. The doctor then brought his hand to Link's forehead.

"I…I don't believe it. It worked! His temperature is normal again!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Malon cried happily. "Kelli, what was that magic you used? And that jewel?"

"I'll explain later. Link is still in a coma, which means he can still die if he's lost too much blood," Kelli replied.

"Oh, that's right…"

"Unfortunately, Link is not yet out of danger," the doctor added. "A fever is one of the body's natural defenses against illness. While it is fortunate that the magic from Kelli's jewel had brought down Link's fever, it could return at any time to continue fighting the illness."

"And we'd be right back where we started…" Malon gloomily deduced.

"Exactly."

"But Link is at least in better condition now than he was before, right?" Kelli desperately inquired.

"Yes, that is true," the doctor confirmed. "As a matter of fact, I had the potion shop mix up a blue potion. It might be possible that Link will reach such a state where the blue potion can help him."

"Oh, excellent. Perhaps we could try it now?" Kelli suggested.

"It might work, but I can't make any promises. I'll be using a procedure we're still experimenting with, though, since Link cannot drink the potion on his own."

"That's fine, as long as you know it's safe."

"Of course. I'm going to inject the potion into Link's arm using a needle and syringe."

"How does that work?" Malon wondered.

"Let me answer that question by posing another. Tell me, how much do either of you know about the heart?" the doctor inquired.

"…Not much," Kelli admitted, while Malon only shrugged in reply.

"Well, I'll try to put this in layman's terms then. As you may know, the heart serves to pump blood throughout the body, providing it with the nourishment it requires to function. For some time now, it has been theorized that this function of the heart could be used in administering medicine to a patient who is incapacitated. If a tiny incision, the sort that a needle might make, was made in a vein and a potion forced by pressure into the incision, then the medicine would join the flow of blood. From there, the heart would pump it throughout the body. In theory, this would make it possible for a potion to heal one who could not drink it but, as you may have gathered, this method has not been tested."

"Maybe not, but I don't think we have another option," Kelli replied. "Please, do it."

The doctor then produced a bottle of blue potion and a most peculiar device consisting of a needle with a small tube attached to its backside. The tube had a knob inside its other end. The doctor then uncorked the bottle and asked Kelli to hold it for him. He then inserted the needle and, as he slowly pulled out the knob, Kelli could see that the blue potion was being drawn from the bottle up into the strange tube. Once the strange tube was filled, and the knob very nearly ready to escape, the doctor removed the needle.

"Now, I carefully insert the needle into Link's arm and slowly push the syringe's knob back inside the tube," the doctor continued and approached Link's bedside. "As I push the knob, it will generate the pressure needed to push the potion through the tiny hole in the needle and into Link's body. Oh, and since he is not awake, he won't feel any pain."

With that, he took Link's right arm out from under the blanket. He began to rigorously stroke the limb until a blue vein stood out against the flesh and then swapped it over with a cloth smelling strongly of alcohol. Then, after drawing in a deep breath, he inserted the needle into Link's flesh. Kelli's eyes darted between the tiny needle and the rapidly draining blue potion and, to her amazement, it seemed as though the experimental tool was working as the doctor had claimed. After the potion was injected into the hero's body, the doctor removed the needle and quickly bandaged the pierced skin with a small cloth. Barely a drop of blood escaped Link's veins, which the doctor explained, was because the pressure of the injection held the blood in, but all present knew that Link could not afford to lose even that much after what he'd been through.

"Now, all we can do is wait," the doctor finished after removing the cloth. "If our luck holds, one injection will be enough. I do recommend, however, that you treat those wounds as soon as you can though, Lady Kelli. They could become infected at any time."

"I know, I will," Kelli replied. In truth, she wanted to make sure Link would recover first.

The trio then sat down, anxious to see if Link would awaken. Kelli briefly considered apprising Ruto of the situation, but promptly reconsidered. The Zora Princess was hardly someone Kelli would consider a friend, but she knew that Ruto's spirits were low enough as it was without this torturous waiting. In fact, Ruto's post on the lookout tower had suddenly become quite enviable as Kelli resigned herself to waiting for some sign that Link yet lived. Minutes which felt like days passed languidly, and the hero did not stir. His eyes were still closed and his breathing continued to be shallow and labored. Every now and then, the doctor checked for a pulse, and though Link's heart continued to beat, these pulses of life grew further and further apart. As time wore on, Malon rose from her seat and began to pace in blind arcs, her eyes brimming over with tears. Navi perched on one of the bedposts, uncharacteristically silent and her wings drooping sadly. Kelli soon buried her face in her hands as she began to sob. She had spied the doctor's face through her tear blurred vision, and his expression had turned grave.

And, though Kelli tried to quash it, she had a terrible presentiment about what the doctor's expression meant.

"As much as it pains me to say this… It looks like that jewel and potion weren't enough," he said somberly, confirming Kelli's grim premonition.

"…No!" Malon pleaded. "W-What about giving him more of the potion?"

"I'm sorry, but if that first dose couldn't do anything, more won't help either," the doctor grimly reported, closing his eyes and sighing. "You see, once any amount of a potion enters someone's body, it immediately begins to affect the body, if it can, and that's that. I can only inject so much potion at one time, and I couldn't possibly give Link enough to help him with only a needle and syringe. He'd have to drink the entire bottle, which he can't. Furthermore, repeatedly injecting him would be too risky. An errant penetration, and I'd cause him to bleed further, and in his current condition, even losing a small amount of blood could prove fatal."

"Oh…"

Kelli was at a loss for words. All she could do was sniffle as her tears coursed down her cheeks.

"This… This is all my fault," she admitted. "I'm so sorry…"

"Kelli, no it isn't. We all did our best and it isn't like you hurt Link," Malon protested, but her expression had darkened with hopelessness. "It just...wasn't enough."

"You don't understand… Before I came back here, just after I found the Jewel of Ice, I was told that I already held the power to save Link, and that I realize it soon. But, I failed."

"Kelli…"

"Are you serious?" Navi blurted and flew into Kelli's face, close enough to tear loose strands of the Sky Guardian's eyebrows. "The Fairy of Winds told you that, didn't she?"

"Y-Yes, but…"

"Then it _is_ your fault! We're going to lose him and Hyrule is doomed, and IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!"

Navi then darted down stairs, likely shedding tiny tears all the while. All Kelli could only grimace as the cold, hard truth of the fairy's words pressed down upon her. The fairy was right.

"Don't listen to her, Kel," Vira persuaded. "You can still figure this out."

"No… I can't. There's no time. I haven't any clue where to go or what I'm supposed to do. I did all that I could… And it wasn't enough. I've failed… I've failed Link, and I've failed all of Hyrule… Why? Why couldn't I save him?"

Her reserve crumpling, Kelli began to bawl in utter despair. Malon could only follow suit while the doctor, no stranger to losing patients, sighed mournfully. There was no question as to how Ruto and King Daphnes would react when they heard the news of Link's death. They would be devastated and, given the king's fragile health, the news might prove as much a deathblow as any the monsters would deliver. And, indeed, everyone would despair, as they'd lost a fine warrior, and one of Hyrule's greatest heroes. In her grief, however, Kelli did not realize that she was still holding the opened bottle of blue potion. As she wept for the fallen hero, some of her tears fell inside. With each drop, a strange white glow began to emanate from the blue liquid until, at last, the vial shone like a jewel in a bed of fog.

"What's this?" the doctor wondered, his jaw parting in shock.

"I…I don't know!" Kelli replied, her eyes widening. The doctor and Malon both approached to get a closer look. The glow of the bottle grew brighter and more intense until it pulsed with such brilliance that all present had to close their eyes. When the brightness subsided, the trio saw that the blue liquid inside turned a plum purple. Afterwards, the fading glow vanished entirely.

"This…This is remarkable," the doctor commented moments later, breaking the short silence.

"Yeah. I don't understand it myself," Kelli replied.

"What exactly happened?" Malon wondered.

"I'm not sure. Some of my tears got inside the bottle, and then..."

"Ah! Lady Kelli, then they must have done something to the potion!" the doctor concluded. "I will give Link one last dose. I…have a theory about what this means."

With that, the doctor wiped off the needle, filled the syringe with a dose of the new potion, and injected Link with it once more.

"You said you had a theory about what this meant," Kelli spoke up. "What is it?"

"During my studies," the doctor began, his breath become ragged with excitement, "I learned of a lost elixir which could not only restore the vitality of a warrior, but render him briefly impervious to harm. It was referred as 'Goddess Tears.' No one has been able to concoct it for centuries, but the documents we have on the substance describe it as a purple potion. If my guess is correct, your tears strengthened the medicine!"

"You mean, the potion might save Link now?" Kelli replied, unable to keep a note of desperation from her voice.

"We'll find out soon enough."

This time, Kelli did not bother seating herself. The enormity of the situation left her too anxious to even stand still, and she began pacing in a veritable daze. If Link didn't wake this time, all hope would surely be lost. Still, Kelli felt confident. This must have been what the Fairy of Winds was talking about. Kelli's tears were the key. But, how was this possible? Was it because she was a Sky Guardian? Did her tears possess the power to augment potions? Or, was there more to it than that…on both counts?

After the doctor finished giving Link the second dose, he bandaged Link's arm once more to staunch the slight bleeding. As he did so, the doctor brought two fingers to the side of Link's neck.

"I knew it! Link's heart beat has quickened!" he announced. "The pulses are much stronger, and they're closer together as well!"

"Oh, that's a relief!" Malon gushed happily. Kelli agreed, but would the hero wake from his coma?

Fortunately, the Guardian of the Sun soon received her answer. Seconds later, a soft moan escaped Link's mouth and his eyelids slowly fluttered open. Kelli gasped and rushed over.

"Link! Link, can you hear me?" she inquired.

"Ah, Link!" Malon added, following her.

"…Huh?" Link uttered exhaustedly.

"Oh! He's awake! He's finally awake!" Malon cried, a smile forming on her face for the first time in hours.

"Malon?" Link replied, his voice still rather faint.

"I'm here too, Link!" Kelli said. "Oh, I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Me too!" Malon seconded and hugged the hero.

"This is truly incredible," the doctor commented. "Lady Kelli, if I'm not mistaken, your tears must have some form of healing powers! It would explain how they transformed the blue potion."

"Really? Let's find out!" Kelli replied. She then wiped her eyes, as they were still a little watery, and placed her hand upon one of her wounds. Within seconds, the bloody cut vanished and her skin looked as smooth as though she'd just returned from a session with the Hyrule Castle Town's finest beautician.

"Whoa…" Kelli uttered. "I don't believe it… But, how did this happen? I don't understand."

"Neither do I. I've never seen such a phenomenon before," the doctor replied and then turned to Link. "Your tears obviously possess potent healing abilities though. Just look how quickly they revived Link when all else failed."

"Yeah…"

"Wait… What are you talking about? What happened to me?" Link wondered, and attempted to sit up after Malon let him go. "Aaaugh!"

"Please, just relax," the doctor coaxed, forcing Link to lie back down. "You're still in pretty bad shape. To answer your question, though, you were brought here by one of the soldiers after you returned from the Fortress of Ice. You had gone into a coma just after. You're lucky to be alive."

"Oh…" Link replied. "And yeah, I can tell. My whole body aches."

"I bet it does. You have a few broken ribs, a couple swollen joints, and bruises everywhere."

"Aw man…"

"You lost a lot of blood due to that stab wound in your stomach as well. Your heart even stopped for a little while."

"…Are you serious?"

"Afraid so. You'll have to stay in bed for awhile longer. Potions can't be directly applied to broken bones, so you'll have to let them heal naturally. And you have to take it easy. One of those broken ribs could accidentally pierce a lung or your heart, and even Kelli's tears likely wouldn't help you then."

"Ugh, that's just great…"

"So, that means Link should make a complete recovery after all?" Malon guessed, her tears now those of joy.

"That's right. Miraculously, but yes," the doctor confirmed.

"Oh, that's so wonderful! I'm so relieved!"

"So am I! Ruto is going to be quite happy as well," Kelli replied.

"Oh, she definitely will," Malon agreed. "I'll go give her the good news right now!"

"Wait a minute, Ruto is here too?" Link inquired, his already pallid features paling even further.

"Yep. She's been worried sick about you ever since I rescued her," Kelli confirmed with a wicked smile while Malon rushed downstairs calling the Zora princess's name.

"Oh no…" Link groaned, bringing a hand to his face. "Ow!"

Kelli merely giggled. She knew Link would probably give her an earful when he found out what she had told Ruto, but it didn't matter. He was awake and would recover as long as he stayed in bed and rested, and that was enough for her. The hero had a ways to go before he'd be able to fight again, but at least Kelli knew that Hyrule still had hope after all.

The evil that stifled Hyrule had allowed its best chance for victory to slip away. What's more, the Sky Guardians now had five of the Elemental Jewels.

The next time they took the field, they would make the dark forces rue the day they set foot in Hyrule.


	18. Lost Hyrule

Chapter 18: Lost Hyrule

After Malon had raced out to fetch Ruto and the doctor had gone downstairs to speak with Daphnes about the startling events behind the hero's recovery, Link let out a heavy sigh and, for a long, long moment, simply enjoyed being alive. His battered form feeling spent after that small exertion, and then feeling spent twice over when he recalled the purpose of Malon's departure, he sagged back against his pillow and stared at the ceiling. When she saw his somber look, Kelli's giggling trailed away and her lips curved downward.

"Hey, you can't blame Ruto, you know," she pointed out. "Seeing you for the first time in seven years, and all the while, worrying that you might die no less, had to be really hard on her."

"Yeah, I know. She does have a right to see me, as much as I hate to admit it," Link agreed. "And…truth be told, I…do consider her a friend."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah. She may have forced me to carry her around inside Jabu-Jabu's disgusting stomach, and she may be kind of annoying, but there are qualities about her that I do like. I think she would make a good ruler for her people someday."

"Heh, I see."

"I mean, I have to admit that she's loyal and that she'd do anything to protect the Zoras. And when she really cares about someone, at least, more than she does for herself, she really cares. She can be pretty smothering about it, believe me, I know, but I have to credit her sincerity, seeing as she risked getting in trouble again to come here."

"Yeah, that's true. I'm really surprised to hear this from you, hee hee."

The Sky Guardian's mischievous tone caused Link's still-pallid features to pale even further and he tried, without great success, to raise himself up on this elbows. When that didn't work, he tried to glare at Kelli, but his wincing from the pain made the gesture less-than-intimidating.

"Hey, just keep this between us!" he demanded. "If she finds out I'm talking about her like this, she'll never leave me alone!"

"Okay, okay, don't worry," Kelli agreed with a smile. "Still, I'm sure once you confess your love to Zelda, she'll be bawling like a baby."

"Watch it," Link warned, painstakingly lowering himself back onto the mattress.

"Oh, but poor Ruto would surely be hurt."

"You're lucky I can't get out of this bed right now!" Link grumbled. "Still, you do have a point. I don't know what I'd say to Ruto to soften that kind of blow. I mean, if I _did_ have feelings for someone else, which I don't."

Link's placations rapidly gave way to frantic stammering as a hint of embarrassed red climbed his cheeks. Kelli, by this time, was feeling light-headed from holding in her laughter.

"Heh, I'll believe that when I see it," she struck back, her tone more smug than dismissive. "Now don't worry, I'm sure Ruto understands that she can't be all over you due to your injuries. I guess she'll have to settle for little fishy kisses."

Link sighed again.

"Gee, I feel _so_ much better now. I swear, I—"

"Link! Oh, Link!" a familiar feminine voice cried, causing Link to pale like a sick Wolfos. Ruto had rushed up the stairs and barged through the door, followed by Malon. Link cringed as the Sage of Water threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh, I'm so relieved that you're finally awake!" the Zora princess gushed, her cheeks soaked with ice-blue tears. "I was so afraid that I was going to lose you."

"Y-Yes, it's good to finally see you too, Ruto," Link reluctantly replied. "Hey, you're hurting me a little."

"Oh, sorry about that!" Ruto apologized and let go. "I guess I got carried away. It's been seven years, you know? I still have no idea how we missed each other that day that Ganondorf was banished. But you're back and that's what matters!"

The Zora princess then pecked Link on the cheek, and Link found Kelli's quip about "little fishy kisses" to be dreadfully apt. Ruto's lips were cold, and scaly, and gave Link yet another reason to hope that the Sage of Water would ultimately be disabused of the notion that they were "engaged." Kelli and Malon both giggled at Link's obvious discomfiture, prompting another piteous glare that only made them chortle louder. _I really need more guy friends,_ Link thought in annoyance. _Judo, where in blazes are you?_

"Well, Ruto and I have to get back to the lookout tower soon," Malon spoke up once the hilarity subsided. "We decided to keep watch for any enemies while you rested."

"Ah, yes, that's right," Ruto added, with obvious reluctance. "Much of the village has also taken up arms. They've fortified the entrance to the village and new recruits have been joining the village's defenders ever since you came back with those awful wounds. Malon and I volunteered to serve as lookouts right when Kelli went off to look for something that could help you. The Gorons have come down to aid us as well."

"Really? Wow, I see. I never knew people had so much respect for Kel and I. Of course, I probably shouldn't be surprised," Link replied.

"Heh, true," Malon agreed. "Oh, and also, I brought the ranch's last bottle of milk for you. It should help speed up the healing process."

"The last bottle? Dang, I don't know what to say."

"Don't worry, you need it more than anyone else."

"I agree," Ruto seconded. "And don't worry, Malon and I have also agreed to take turns coming back to check on you. You'll be well taken care of!"

"Oh joy," Link murmured under his breath, again cursing his lack of male friends to draw off obsessive female admirers. "Well, thanks for the help."

"You're welcome! We'll see you later, handsome!"

With that, the two girls headed downstairs, leaving Link wondering why there was never a horde of attacking moblins around when somebody actually wanted one.

"Hey, where's Navi?" Link wondered, finally realizing that his fairy friend was nowhere in sight.

"Oh, um…" Kelli began nervously. Link shot her yet another glare and, this time, he was met with silence.

"Alright, what did you do this time?"

"What? Nothing! She got all up in my face! I revealed that after I found the Jewel of Ice, the Fairy of Winds had given me a clue on how to save you! I couldn't figure it out at the time and I thought I had failed. Navi started screaming at me and said it was my fault you were dying. Afterwards, she rushed downstairs. She's probably outside."

Link's expression softened a bit, then his glare vanished altogether amidst a grimace as his wounds made themselves known once more.

"Oh. Figures…" he remarked. "She's like that when she's really worried about me."

"Yeah, I'll go get her and see if she's cooled off," Vira offered. "She'll feel better knowing that you're okay."

"Good idea, thanks."

With that, Vira flew downstairs. Moments later, there was the sound of another person ascending the stairs, rather laboriously, from the faint gasping and wheezing that echoed from beyond the door, and Daphnes entered, a look of profound relief on his careworn face.

"Oh, Link, I'm so relieved that you're finally awake," he said. "The doctor told me everything. Kelli possessing tears with such extraordinary healing powers is incredible, and practically unheard of since ancient times."

"Yeah, I can't argue with that," Link replied. "The doctor said I'm stuck in bed for a while, though. I'm sorry that this had to happen, your majesty."

"Don't worry, you fought as hard as you could. And, from what I've gathered, you and Kelli have made great strides in cleansing our lands of this blight. Rest as long as you need."

"But of course. Are you doing alright? I'd imagine a lot of people were scared when they heard about me being so near death."

"Oh, I'm fine…for now. Yes, it was hard. I had actually believed that all hope was lost when I learned that your heart had stopped. But, the goddesses gave us a miracle in the form of Kelli's healing powers. And, perhaps, another in how the people have risen to the challenge."

"They did indeed."

"Speaking of which, Kelli, I believe I know what this means about you. But…as much as I wish I could tell you, I'm afraid that I cannot at the moment."

"What? But why?" Kelli wondered in surprise, and more than a hint of incredulity. "If it has to do with my parentage or my past, I simply must know. I hardly know much as it is."

"I understand, believe me," Daphnes replied, a hint of empathy in his tone. "Revealing this information now, however, could seriously harm our efforts to save Hyrule. I know it sounds farfetched, but you must trust me on this. The time to tell you will come eventually."

"Well, alright. But when that time does come, I have to know everything. Sometimes, I feel like I don't know who I truly am. Aside from being a Sky Guardian, that is."

"Don't worry, you have my word."

"Thank you."

As this exchange concluded, Link could not keep his brow from furrowing in skeptical consternation. He had not forgotten that Daphnes had studiously avoided informing Kelli of Judo's disappearance in Mayia, and the likelihood that he was no longer alive. And, the former Hero of Time found himself wondering if the troubled Hylian king would keep this latest secret to himself as well.

Link cut off that musing by mentally kicking himself. He had, after all, lost the right to profess forthrightness some time ago. After all, he could have told Kelli what Daphnes had revealed, just as he could have told the Gorons and Zoras of Termina what had really happened to Darmani and Mikau. Yet, he had not done so.

Whether that was for the best or not, he still could not say. The king, meanwhile, seemed to catch Link's thought and offered what, on a less worn face, might have been a reassuring smile.

With that, Daphnes turned and departed the small room, leaving two anxious adventurers in his wake. A heavy silence soon fell over the room as Link sighed once more and turned his gaze toward the ceiling. He didn't exactly relish the thought of remaining abed with so much evil remaining in Hyrule, but he also knew that hunting for another of the Elemental Jewels in his current state would be suicidal. Even rising to a sitting position seemed to exhaust him more than fighting an Iron Knuckle. But, if what Malon said was true and the bottle of Lon Lon Milk that she brought did speed up his body's healing process, perhaps he would be up again soon enough. When he tried to sit up and open the bottle, however, his arm suddenly felt like it weighed more than Death Mountain, and he irritably sagged back against his pillow. Kelli frowned again when she noticed the hero once more wearing a somber expression.

"Hey, Ruto didn't really embarrass you _that_ much, did she?" she wondered.

"Actually, no. I've been more concerned about something else for once," Link replied. "I know, surprising."

This time, rather than splitting open with laughter, Kelli's expression became pinched with worry.

"Oh, I see. What's the matter?"

_Such a simple question, but with such a complicated answer,_ Link mused unhappily.

He knew that he was about to say what he had long ago vowed to never even consider. Yet, he knew as well that his latest brush with disaster had proven that he could no longer remain silent.

"Well…" he began. "Kelli, in all honesty, I don't think I'll really be able to help save Hyrule this time anymore."

"What?" Kelli blurted, thunderstruck and angry. "Link, that's complete nonsense! Hyrule needs you and I need you and you know it. You're the Guardian of the Moon."

"See, that's what doesn't make sense. Kel, just look at me. I've nearly been killed twice already. And the only reason I survived at all was because of people who just happened to be there to save me. Next time, I probably won't be so lucky. And Dark Kelli is an extremely powerful enemy. She's merciless and more skilled in every way than either of us. If she hadn't chosen to retreat, I'd have died right there. She's…frightening."

Link turned over in bed and grimaced as he felt his heart lurch at the memory. Unthinkable as he had once considered such a thing, it was true. Ever since his encounter with Dark Kelli, he'd been gripped by an undeniable fear and dread of her power.

Link had battled dragons, phantoms, terrors of the deep and horrors from beyond the grave, yet each and all of these paled in comparison to the Sun Guardian's dark counterpart. Against such an enemy, he, the former Hero of Time, the hero of Termina and the most implacable enemy of all who would threaten Hyrule…just…didn't…_have it!_

Kelli, hearing his confession, however, didn't seem inclined to show Link any mercy either.

"Alright, who are you and what have you done with Link?" she wondered, folding her arms.

"I'm serious," Link insisted. "Just the mention of her name makes me shudder. I don't know if I could ever face her again after what she did to me."

"Link, listen to me. Bloodied and cleaved or not, you're still a Sky Guardian and you're meant to be one for a reason. You were chosen by the goddess of the moon herself, just as the goddess of the sun chose me. If she didn't believe you had the makings of a powerful Guardian of the Moon, you would not possess those powers."

Link glowered a bit in reply. Aside from a few of Kelli's techniques, he truly had little idea just what "powers" he was supposed to have. And, thus far, they hadn't exactly done him much good. Yet, hadn't he felt the same way when he'd awoken as the Hero of Time, a ten year old boy in a man's body stranded in a world so much darker than the one he'd known? The recollection of those tribulations, and how he'd eventually prevailed over them, softened his glare.

"Well, I hope you're right," he replied, though his tone was still skeptical. "But it doesn't mean that I'm not afraid."

Here, Kelli's stern expression softened a bit. Her fingers curled around Link's and tightened in a grip of reassuring strength.

"I know," she admitted. "I honestly don't blame you for that. I would probably be scared too. But you've done a great job already. You've defeated monsters who knew techniques of mine that I haven't taught you yet, and without the Moon Sword no less. Dark Kelli is just…out of our league for now. But so was Ganondorf. And, that didn't stop you from defeating him when you finally did face him. We just have to make sure you're ready the next time you meet Dark Kelli…if I don't get to her first, that is. And, by the looks of those muscles of yours, I can tell that you're a lot stronger than me physically, and you're more skilled with a shield. With my techniques combined with your own skills, you'll become a real force to be reckoned with. Eventually, you might even surpass me. Given time, Dark Kelli won't stand a chance. But again, no promises that I won't beat you to her."

"Hm… Yeah, I guess that's true. You haven't taught me everything yet. I guess this means that once I've recovered, we'll train hard and not let anything stop us."

"Now that's the Link I know."

As the words passed her lips, however, Kelli suddenly felt a heavy weariness descend upon her. Though she had done little since her fight with the Stalknight inside the Sun Shrine, aside from wait for some sign that Link would recover, the exertion of her flight through the enchanted blizzard and the frantic search afterward had now caught up with her. Her breathing was slightly labored, her eyes were glazed over from fatigue and her limbs felt heavy and leaden. Still, she chose to shrug it off as only natural, especially given all that had happened since Link was injured. However, Link soon noticed the heroine's exhaustion.

"Kel, are you alright?" he wondered, arching an eyebrow.

"Huh? Oh, of course," Kelli replied, a yawn punctuating her words. "I'm just tired from all the action I saw today. Especially since I had to travel through a frozen shrine just to find the Jewel of Ice."

"Oh wow. Believe me, I know how you feel. The Fortress of Ice felt worse than that winter Snowhead suffered under Majora's curse, during my time in Termina. So, anyway, what do you plan to do next?"

"Well, I'd like to…to…AAACHOO!"

Kelli's words were abruptly cut off as she let out a violent sneeze, so loud that the noise made Link grimace, and the force sending the young Sky Guardian stumbling. She snatched at one of Link's bedposts before she could hit the floor, though her eyes were still bleary. Link's eyebrows rose again and, though the motion left him breathless, he quickly reached out to feel Kelli's forehead.

"Yeesh. I knew it," he assessed. "You're burning up. It must've been that cold shrine. Kel, you're too sick to go anywhere."

"I'll say," a familiar masculine voice agreed. The doctor had returned from downstairs, followed by the fairies.

"Huh?" Kelli uttered.

"You've got a bad cold," the doctor pointed out succinctly.

"Yeah," Vira agreed. "Your nose is all runny and red now and everything."

"I-I'll be find. Honest," Kelli insisted through a stuffy nose. "Really, I…AACHOO!"

Link threw up his hands to ward off a hail of flying mucus. Needless to say, this did not serve to convince the doctor.

"I'm afraid I must disagree. Besides which, it's quite late. You really should get some rest."

"Alright, alright," Kelli conceded. "Could I at least get a bath though? A hot soak might warm the bones."

"That's not a bad idea, actually. But, come straight back here, get under those covers, and rest afterwards. If I have to, I'll arrange for one of the Gorons to carry you back here."

"Trust me, that threat's worth taking seriously," Link spoke up. "I swear, one Goron hug is worth a full bomb bag."

"Oh, alright…" Kelli fumed.

With that, the doctor informed the young Sky Guardian that he would see to her bath and, as he departed, Kelli sighed and gratefully shed her gear and pulled off her boots. Although tempted to just drop them, she knew from prior experience that such carelessness might prove costly, so she carefully set them down beside the bed.

"I'll have to tell you about by plans toborrow, Link," she said, sniffling.

"I don't mind at all," he replied.

"Hey, Link!" Navi greeted, somewhat sheepishly. "I'm so sorry I left. I was just so upset… I thought you were dead."

"I know, don't worry. But I'm alive…more or less. We'll be back in action before you know it."

"Well, okay. Just don't try anything stupid."

"Right, right."

"Frankly, I think this waiting qualifies as stupid…" Kelli opined as she paced impatiently. "Preventing your death probably left whoever's behind this evil off balance. We should press on, before he can recover, not lay around snoring!"

"Hey, at least you didn't get beaten nearly to death! I got my butt handed to me; and by a girl, no less. You've got it easy!"

"Yeah, think about others besides yourself for once!" Navi snapped.

"What? You think I don't care about Link? For your information, I nearly froze to death getting that jewel! _And,_ I nearly froze to death before that chasing after the Jewel of Water and saving his "fiancée" after he stumbled back here!"

"Now hold on! This is definitely no time to be fighting!" Link cut in, cringing more from Kelli's choice of words than from the lingering pains. "And I never meant _that_, Navi."

"Whatever. I just don't think she has any right to complain."

"I'b not "complaining" just because I'b sick! I'b worried because _both_ Link and I are stuck in bed when we should be pressing our advantage. We could be bedridden so long that the eneby has tibe to recover or attack the village. Or both. And, that could be _very_ bad!"

"Kel, don't worry. This shouldn't last long," Link assured, though he felt as though he was shouting down her objections. "And besides, if the village as well-protected as you and the others said, everyone can hold out until we're back on our feet."

"Well, that's true. I still plan on leaving toborrow, though."

"With luck, I'll be able to go with you."

His words were met with glares from both Kelli and Navi but, before either of them could speak, the doctor returned and informed Kelli that her bath was ready. Once she left the room, however, Navi glanced at the heroine's gear next to the bed and her tiny face screwed up with indignation.

"Well, I'm not going to sleep up here with her," Navi decided and petulantly flew back downstairs.

"Sigh… I'll go with her. It's best that his majesty isn't left alone anyway," Vira added and followed. Link, meanwhile, resigned himself to a night that would be boring at best and unpleasant at worst.

While Link was reflecting on the sour note upon which the evening had ended, Kelli made her way to the bath and, to her delight, found it brimming over with sudsy, piping hot water. Despite the warm, summer evening, she still felt dreadfully stiff and very nearly frostbitten from her escapades in the Fortress of Ice and the cursed Sun Shrine. The steaming water almost as welcome a sight as a Fairy Spring, she eagerly disrobed.

As she made her way to the tub, however, she caught sight of herself in a mirror affixed to the wall.

Not for the first time, her lip curled in displeasure at the sight of her reflection.

She moved closer to the mirror and studied her body critically. After spending near to half her life adventuring abroad, she was all muscle and sinew; toned and hardened into a fighting form that even the renowned Knights of Hyrule could envy.

But, this had come with a price. One which her earlier encounter with Malon and Ruto had brought to mind.

Her hands, marred and calloused from years of wielding a sword, rose to cup her breasts.

_If these were any smaller, I'd be a boy, _she mused sourly.

She felt a tinge of envy for Malon who, although a working woman, was nonetheless quite alluring with her well-endowed figure, brilliant red hair and sonorous singing voice. It was no secret that the ranch girl had more than a few male admirers, and that her father's perpetual sleeping likely had to do with his labors chasing them all off. Even Ruto, who was quite a catch by her people's standards, had her obvious charms. The intricate, graceful undulations of her fins, the way her scales gleamed in the sun and her sinuous grace beneath the waves all attracted many a pair of unblinking eyes…though her obsessive personality tended to overpower these assets.

Kelli's figure, by contrast, was bespangled with scars and most of her feminine curves had been worn away by a life spent scrambling through caves and dancing through waves of enemies with a length of steel in hand. Her skin did not retain the pale softness that Malon boasted, despite the ranch girl's laborious lifestyle, nor the river pebble smoothness of Ruto's scales. Instead, her flesh was weathered by sun and wind and brushes with death until it looked like leather and felt rough to the touch, even where it was unmarred by scars.

And, her narrow waist and almost non-existent hips didn't help her appearance either.

Blowing out an angry breath, she ran her fingers through her long tresses. Her hair, which was probably her only true vanity, had long since grown out of her formerly boyish locks and now cascaded well past her hips. More than once, she'd found herself pondering the wisdom of letting it grow out so much. Long hair could more easily get caught in narrow passages or, worse, an enemy could grab a handful and drag her in close for a killing blow. Still, despite her adventurer's instincts warning her that such was a pointless risk, she'd kept her hair brushing her waist.

Why that was, she could not say. What she _could_ say, however, was that those blonde tresses had not come away undamaged either. She could tell that the once golden strands had tarnished to dingy brass. And, the fringe looked as though she'd cropped it herself with her eyes shut.

Which, in fact, was true. She had always adventured alone, often far from civilization and its various amenities for weeks at a time. And, despite so many years of handling a sword, she'd always been so jittery around scissors.

Nabooru, by contrast, had a long mane of fiery hair as fine as red silk. How such a thing was possible in the dusty, sweltering desert was beyond Kelli. And, the question become doubly vexing as she found a clump of strands near her temple which had been gummed together by monster blood. The corners of Kelli's mouth drew downward once more.

She turned, craning over her shoulder to see her bare back, and her disposition soured further.

Her skinny hips had, at times, caused her to be mistaken for a man, in one particularly dreadful instance, by a drunken harlot in a bar who'd decided upon Kelli as her bed warmer for that even, and had torn the Sky Guardian's shirt off before realizing her mistake, and the Sun Guardian's buttocks was as rough as the rest of her after so much time in the saddle.

_At least there's too little for the lecherous _men _to grab,_ she mused, giving her posterior a harsh slap.

The young Sky Guardian had never been much for dolling herself up and trying to lure in the boys. She'd spent the days of her youth in the sun rather than before the vanity, scrambling up trees and swing oaken swords at imaginary foes. The boys had readily accepted her into their rambunctious circle as one of their own, and she could run and tackle and make mischief with the best of the opposite sex. The boys had forgotten she was a girl, literally, in some cases, and Kelli in turn soon found herself regarding with disdain the less-adventurous of her gender.

One of Kelli's guilty pleasures had been enjoying the looks of slack-jawed astonishment that would overtake the other girls' faces when Kelli strode home spattered from head to toe with mud and with bloody nosed boys trailing her and making improbable threats.

Such rambunctiousness had been tempered - at times, the hard way - as she began adventuring. She was still as undaunted now as she had been then, though she had also learned the value of forethought and thinking on her feet. This, coupled with her talents with the blade, had made her an exceptional warrior and a famous heroine. Yet, during her time abroad, she'd met many ladies who were possessed of such regality and grace that she felt as scruffy as a beggar by comparison.

Zelda sprang to mind, this particular recollection burning hot in Kelli's mind. Zelda was, in certain, subtle ways, much like Kelli herself. The Hylian princess's tomboyish nature was probably the kingdom's worst kept secret. As a child, Zelda had been known to behave like the son Daphnes had never had, embarking on hair-raising escapades and going through dresses the way Link went through arrows.

Yet, when she so desired, Zelda could indeed look the part of a daughter of kings.

Her lustrous golden hair, her smooth, pale cheeks, her shapely bosom, her graceful figure, her dazzling eyes and her delicate, finely boned hands, not to mention her penetrating intellect, her immaculate manners and her unshakably serene composure, all gave her a regal bearing that marked her as a queen in all but name…

…and, all despite seven years of passing herself off as a boy.

Such a performance, apparently, was truly of the sort seen upon the stage of history but once in a lifetime.

For Kelli, it seemed, had attempted playing a similar role and emerging with the dexterity of a cat, but not even the barest fraction of Zelda's grace.

In fact, as Kelli let her mind's eye paint Zelda's image alongside her reflection, the Sun Guardian felt almost like a decrepit scarecrow by comparison.

Scoffing in frustration, and wondering why she even cared about her looks with so much evil afoot, she angrily lowered herself into the hot water. She flinched slightly as she felt the burn, but soon eased herself down and let out a contented sigh. The lather of soap, bubbles forming in the water like translucent pearls, heaved and parted as she brought up one leg to be scrubbed down.

When her fingers probed the tanned surface of her thigh, however, a different sort of steam left her nostrils.

"Forget the shaving blade," she remarked, fingering the strands of fine stubble. "I might as well use my sword to get rid of this."

And, indeed, she might have to. She hadn't exactly been keen to reclaim her old shaving blade after having put it to different use in order to escape Dorath Riptide's brig.

Once through the brig's lock, again through the jailer's rear end…and, she'd decided she was better off leaving it behind.

And, that impromptu rock climbing she'd added to her "relaxing" stroll on the Mayian coast hadn't done much for her pedicure either.

She let her leg slide back under the water, silently willing the foam to re-gather and conceal it from view. Again, she fought down a tinge of envy as she tried to focus solely on the gentle lapping of the hot water, melting away the strain of the day. She relaxed into the languid warmth, letting the heat loosen muscles cramped by cold and exertion, while the gentle lapping of the water coaxed her still pumping heart to a simmer and…

…and, suddenly, she was freezing.

She was jolted awake from her stupor, vaulting upward and her eyes shooting open.

To her astonishment, the full moon shone directly overheard.

She fumbled for the edge of the tub, seeking to pull herself upright, but her flailing hands found only more water…which, rather than piping hot and sudsy, was cool and clear.

What's more, she suddenly realized that the bottom of the tub had inexplicably dropped away and that she was now afloat.

Righting herself, she discovered that she now stood waist deep in a small pond, alders and elms rising on three sides while expansive grasslands began at the pool's edge and stretched on until they vanished amidst the moonlight on the horizon.

The roof, the room, the house and even the village were nowhere in sight.

As her gaze darted in all directions, her hands reflexively clapped to her body to shield her modesty…only to discover that she was clad in a deep blue, two-piece bathing suit.

Again, her numerous scars, leather-rough skin and gaunt form were on display before the thousand winking eyes above.

"_I must look downright ugly compared to Zelda and Nabooru,"_ Kelli spat at the water.

"_Funny, I don't remember you being so hard on yourself,"_ a strange, masculine voice called out in reply.

With a gasp, Kelli whirled and beheld an approaching figure. Though the full moon shone on the small pool of water, whoever had spoken yet lingered upon the fringes of its radiance. The confused Sun Guardian could make out a tall figure, well-muscled but with a sleek and slender build. When he leaned forward by the barest fraction of an inch, she could see a pair of brown eyes catch the moon's light.

Though the Sun Guardian had tensed at the sudden intrusion, she found her alarm strangely ebbing away. For some indiscernible, confounding reason, she was not afraid of this man.

He had discovered her alone, unarmed and practically naked in the middle of nowhere but, to her stupefaction, she was somehow certain that this man did not mean her harm.

As he approached with taunting slowness, finally entering the moon's revealing illumination, she was finally able to make out his features. He was clad in crimson trunks and was, indeed, well-muscled. Hard domes rose from his arms and chest, giving mute testimony to his great strength. He walked with the grounded grace of a natural fighter and, though his feet were bare, the brush and pebbles did not seem to bother him. His hair was short cropped, light brown in color, and his bangs dangled across his forehead in boyish tendrils. What caught Kelli's attention, however, were the brown eyes and mischievous smile that lit up his face.

A _handsome_ face…yet, there was more than that.

Strangely, the light in those eyes and the slyness of that grin, was somehow…familiar.

Kelli, it seemed, was not the only one to find familiarity in this strange meeting, for the man began to draw closer and his gaze flicked to her sodden tresses.

"_I always did think you'd look better with long hair,"_ he remarked approvingly. _"It gives you more of a wild flair than that puff ball everyone wanted it tied into."_

The young Sun Guardian scoffed good naturedly, mostly to keep her confusion from showing. Still, she'd heard some dreadful men spout some terrible lines over the years, never at her, thankfully, but that one was just abysmal. Of all the things to begin a flirtation over, he had chosen…

_Wait a minute, how did he know how I used to wear my hair?_

Whereas quite a few of the women she'd regarded with some envy would wear their hair down and attract approving stares by the hundreds, Kelli had often been told that hers had the look of a tomboyish mop. Thus, her elders would often force her golden tresses, which seemed to grow back faster than they could be cut, into a "fashionable" bun which looked like an overlarge wart, held together by pins that pinched into her scalp.

The infuriating discomfiture of the "puffball," as the man had so aptly called it, was matched only by its fragility. The pins would come loose and fly in all directions if Kelli had so much as leapt from tree to tree too suddenly or vaulted onto a roof too violently…which she usually did on purpose for that exact reason. After nearing pulling out all of their own hair in frustration, her elders had thrown up their hands, made some rather rude remarks during which the word "baldness" had been repeatedly used, and abandoned their efforts to tame Kelli's tresses.

Amusing though the recollection was, it still left Kelli wondering how this man seemed to know this about her.

Rather than answer her unspoken question, however, the man chose to confound her again.

"_That's how you caught my eye way back when,"_ he said, drawing nearer. _"You were always so adventurous, so daring. You never gave up on what you wanted to do. Frankly, this look gets that across. I like it."_

Despite the chill of the water, Kelli could feel a strange warmth climbing her cheeks. Though her adventurer's instincts were still clamoring that there was something untoward about this meeting, she felt no such alarm from this man.

Again, she sensed that, despite the fact that she had never seen him before, she nonetheless knew him…but, from where?

Who else had made her feel accepted, just as she was?

"_I thought you would've preferred more voluptuous ladies,"_ she remarked, wondering if this encounter might be too good to be true. _"Lush hips, bountiful breasts, a little more in the way of a backside?"_

The man looked almost amused at the notion.

"_Meh, they got old after the first few dozen,"_ he said dismissively.

This time, Kelli's suspicions were blown out of her thoughts…and, not just by the transparency of the lie. Though she had allowed this man to draw nearer than any other who'd approached her, she could sense a tentativeness to his touch and, when he made his claim about his previous "conquests," a bit of lip vanished between his teeth.

This man, for all his rugged charm, likely hadn't bedded even one of those woman he had so dismissively referenced.

And, odd though it seemed, the uncanny focus of his eyes made Kelli strangely certain that she herself was the reason.

Not that this stopped her from playfully flicking a fistful of water into his face.

"_Oh, you cad!"_ she chastised, making a less-than-convincing show of trying to swim away.

She led him on a merry chase, and indeed, an ever broadening smile was on her face as he pursued, until he snatched her by the ankle. With a single, effortless tug, he brought her so close to him that she could breathe in a rich, earthy scent which wafted off of him.

"_Adventurous, daring, persistent and not afraid to play hard to get_," he assessed. _"Not a doubt in my mind, you're just what I've been looking for. And, everything I hoped to find when I saw you again."_

One of the young Sun Guardian's eyebrows rose at these continued implications that the two of them had met before. And, once again, she vainly sought to recall where she had seen him.

Her mind's eye probed her memories, ranging far and wide, yet the inward search yielded no insights.

"_You seem to know a great deal about me,"_ Kelli remarked, her tone going husky. _"But, I know practically nothing about you."_

It might've been the Sky Guardian's imagination, but she could've sworn that she saw a flicker of pain ripple across the otherwise jovial expression. Yet, it was gone so quickly that she wasn't even sure if it had been real. Regardless, the man chuckled good naturedly and brought up a hand to caress her cheek.

"_Maybe that's part of the attraction,"_ he suggested.

"_Okay, incredibly, your lines are getting worse."_

"_Maybe I can prove myself in…other areas?"_

Before Kelli could make any more teasing remarks, he swooped in and crushed his lips against hers. At first startled, the Guardian of the Sun sagged and surrendered to the kiss.

She still had no idea who this man was, nor anything about him; save that he had long admired her, had cared for her and was the only person who had made her feel beautiful.

His hands roamed up and down her back, his hands even more calloused than hers and yet not flinching in the slightest from her own worn flesh, while his tongue gently probed the inside of her mouth. Not one to be outdone, Kelli matched his passion and leaned into him, sweeping her hands over his broad, tanned back and tantalizingly pressed in her nails.

The pair broke away, gasping and light-headed, but their arms were still wound about one another.

"_I still don't know who you are,"_ Kelli admitted, and this time she was certain of that brief flicker of pain crossing his face. _"But, I hope I can see you again. You keep saying we've already met, and I believe it, but I want to know where."_

"_Maybe the problem is you're looking too far away, and the answer is right under here,"_ the man suggested, playfully flicking Kelli's nose. _"Well, I want to see you again too. And, if I can manage it, I will. But, like you, I have my duties to perform."_

"_What sort of duties?"_ Kelli inquired, hoping his answer might yield a clue as to this man's identity.

"_Urgent,"_ he answered obliquely, _"as well as being very important."_

Before Kelli could even roll her eyes at this ridiculous reply, he crossed the gap again and their lips met once more. This time, their passion blazed like the Gerudo Desert in midsummer, the Sky Guardian's entire form engulfed in such warmth as she had never felt before. His lips migrated to her neck and collarbone, then blazed a fiery trail lower and lower, while her breath grew shorter and shorter and...

…and, suddenly she couldn't breathe.

Her eyes stung, her vision swam and, she realized with a scream, that the man was gone.

The scream, however, came out as a gargle, her tongue writhing at the scalding bitterness pouring into her throat.

Vaulting upward, and then collapsing to a slick, cold surface, she shook herself back to awareness and saw, with relief and disappointment mingling in her gut, that she was back in the room where her bath had been drawn. She lay crumbled upon the floor, water running down her sprawled form. She glanced back at the tub, the waters still roiling from her furious exit, and realized that she must've dozed off and slipped under the water.

How close she might've come to drowning, she could not say. Yet, in truth, her attention was still riveted on the…

…She was almost loathed to call it a dream, for it had lent her that which the waking world never had. A sense that there was someone who saw her, in her entirety, and accepted her just as she was.

And, she could tell that the dream had been as vivid as her imagination told her. For, despite her immersion in the hot water, she felt gooseflesh on her body and she was more lightheaded from the encounter than her near-drowning. As she clambered to her feet, bracing herself against the wall, she suddenly became aware that what she had taken for the pounding of blood in her ears was instead coming from the door.

Before she could react, the doctor crashed into the room, shouting in alarm…which took on a different tone when he noted Kelli's state of undress.

"AIIIIIEEEEE!" the Sun Guardian screeched, vainly trying to cover her nakedness.

The doctor, who'd only seen women in this state after they were too far beyond the mortal coil to object, cringed in fear that he might soon embark on a similar journey and spun 'round.

"Lady Kelli, forgive me," he implored, a hint of panic in his tone. "I heard gargling and coughing noises, and I feared—"

"Well, you were right," Kelli conceded, her alarm becoming embarrassment as she wondered whether the doctor might've heard anything… compromising. "Almost. I did slip under the water, but I'm alright. I probably should get to bed. So, would you mind…?"

"Ah, yes, of course."

With that, the doctor performed a truly remarkable feat of surgical dexterity by forcing the mangled door back into a closed position without spying the nude Guardian of the Sun a second time. Kelli, meanwhile, snatched up her clothes and, discovering that they'd become soaked at some point during her frantic escape from the tub, instead bound a towel about herself and flung her clothes over the windowsill to dry. As she left, however, she caught sight of herself in the mirror once more.

Perhaps, if that man in her dreams saw beauty in her worn form, there'd been something to her that she'd overlooked?

With a sly smile, Kelli made her way to her bedding, wondering what other surprises might visit her in the realm of dreams.

Link had been more than a bit perplexed when Kelli returned from her bath without having redressed but, between his earlier acquaintance with her fast temper and the likelihood that she'd make some reference to his crush, _alleged_ crush, he amended, on Zelda, he decided to hold his tongue. He did, however notice that Kelli's previously foul mood had been replaced with a hint of sly smile and, after burrowing under the covers and sneezing once more, she fell asleep almost instantly. Link, however, found himself lying awake, staring at the wall and restlessly turning over again and again. His most recent, and, perhaps, most narrowly avoided, brush with death had left him too wary and anxious to even close his eyes. But, if he was going to make good on his promise to be up and about soon, Link knew he should at least try to rest. Still, whenever he forced his eyes shut, the face of the one who left him bleeding and in a coma leered at him from the darkness. Link had been wounded many times before in battle, when he was a child during his adventures in Termina, his quests in Hyrule during the dark future and many other times during later years, and he'd slipped death's grasp many a time. But, he'd never come so close to finally dying, nor had he been so savaged as he had been before finding himself faced with Dark Kelli's onslaught. His still churning thoughts wandered to the heroes of yore he'd read about during his time abroad, how each of them had some manner of nemesis who pressed the skills of these heroes to their very limits. More than once, the tales involved these heroes being defeated, though only for a time, by their nemesis; and, Link wondered if this was how they'd felt after such a defeat. Link decided that this had to be so, for even the bravest of heroes could not be truly unafraid of death. He snarled in frustration, fought to rid himself of these thoughts so he could rest. And soon enough, his eyelids grew heavy and he dozed off.

As time passed, however, Link's breathing grew labored again and he began to toss and turn more violently. His lidded eyes began to dart back and forth as images began to intrude upon his sleep, causing his labored breathing to turn ragged and a cold sweat to bespangle his brow.

For though Kelli had met the man of her dreams when she had slumbered, Link was faced with the girl of his nightmares.

He and Kelli were standing in a fairly small room, bare and empty save for a window that even Navi and Vira might consider cramped. Stone walls rose on all sides, the strange chamber illuminated solely by the light of a full moon outside. Distant treetops were visible, far below the window, suggesting that Link and Kelli must be high up in some kind of tower. Suddenly, dark clouds billowed in to blot out the moon, and bolts of lightning crisscrossed the sky in dazzling hairlines. One of those hairlines, inexplicably, seemed to writhe its way through the tiny window, striking the floor in a cloud of dust and smoke. Then, to the two adventurers' horror, Dark Kelli then emerged from the cloud, standing between the two Sky Guardians. Her gaze lingered upon Link for a moment but, with such speed that she seemed to blur to invisibility, she whirled around to grab Kelli by the collar of her tunic. Link quickly reached for his sword, but found that his sheath was empty. His sword was gone. Kelli tried to draw her own, but Dark Kelli proved the swifter. Her perverted facsimile of the Sun Sword clove into the heroine's neck, crimson squirting into Dark Kelli's face as Kelli's face went still.

Link gaped in horror as his partner collapsed to the ground motionless, her eyes frozen open in a perpetual stare of horror. He then tried to un-sling his bow, but he wasn't quick enough. Dark Kelli snatched him by the arms and shoved him against the wall, snickering as she did so. Link could only remain petrified with fear as the dark mirror image of Kelli sheathed her sword and threw him to the floor. She punched him, kicked him, and smashed him into the wall, knocking the breath from Link's lungs and spawning hundreds of stars that danced before his eyes. When Link was too breathless, battered and bloody to do more than writhe in agony, Dark Kelli yanked him to his feet once more and shoved him against the wall yet again. This time, his wrists fell into the waiting grasp of a pair of manacles that clamped down upon him. She snickered again as she gazed with pleasure upon his misfortune and the fear in his eyes.

_"Well… Time to have some fun,"_ she said with a devious grin.

Dark Kelli then slowly removed her gear, tunic, and boots, leaving her clad only in dark gray undergarments. She also threw aside her headband and proceeded to trace the curves of her breasts and hips as she nudged closer to Link. The powerless hero, realizing what she intended, frantically struggled to break free and escape, but it was no use. Her onslaught had left him far too weak to pry himself free from the manacles' iron grip. Dark Kelli then grabbed his tunic and literally ripped it off, its pieces drooping from Link's arms. She did the same thing with his undershirt and yanked off his gauntlets and boots as well.

_"Hehe… You're mine," _she whispered as she pressed her breasts against Link's chest. She then reached for his leggings…

"NOOOO!" Link howled and sprang up from his pillow. He grimaced when he felt a somewhat sharp pain in his torso.

"Agh…"

"Huh? Wha?" Kelli uttered, having been awakened by Link's scream. "Link, are you alright?"

"Kel!" Link gasped and slowly laid back down so he didn't irritate his broken ribs again. "I-I just had the most awful nightmare about…her…"

"Oh…"

"It was t-terrifying…" Link stuttered, turning over and gritting his teeth in fear. "We were in some kind of stone tower. Sh-She killed you right in front of me. Then, she beat me to a pulp again. And then, she took off most of her clothes…and then most of mine… She was about to…to…!"

Kelli's eyes widened as she listened to Link's words.

"Oh by goddesses…"

Tears began to trickle into Link's pillow.

"I can't do this! I can't take this anymore!" he bawled. "I keep seeing her and hearing her dreadful giggling… Her face is everywhere! WHY WON'T SHE GO AWAY?"

"Link, just calb down!" Kelli coaxed, shouting both to force her words past her congestion and to make herself heard over his hysterics. Seeing Link continue to writhe and bawl, she wound her bed's blanket around herself and snatched at his shoulders, trying to restrain him without causing further injury.

"I can't… I just can't…" Link continued, shaking.

Just as suddenly as they had started, Link's convulsions stopped and he fell limply to the bed. At first, Kelli thought that Link might've passed out, but then saw that his eyes were still wide open…

…Gaping with terror, hatching in his mind like locust and devouring him from the inside out. Then, he began shaking again and his mouth feverishly formed mute words.

"Hey, is everything alright up here?" the voice of Daphnes worriedly inquired from beyond the door. He had rushed up the stairs again and pounded urgently at the door. Kelli, shuddering at the effect this news might have on the ailing monarch, tried to shout back that nothing was wrong, but a renewed outburst from Link soundly contradicted her words. Bracing herself for the worst, Kelli snatched up her clothes, which, thankfully, had been dried out and delivered to the foot of her bed, and tried to think of how to explain Link's behavior. Her rushed planning ended prematurely when Daphnes burst in, followed by the fairies. Ruto and the doctor had returned home for the night while Malon stayed in another villager's house.

_So much the better,_ Kelli decided. _I can barely stand seeing Link like this, I doubt either of them could._

"Yeah, Link, we heard you scream!" Navi added, rousing Kelli from her musings.

"What happened?" Vira wondered.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry we woke you," Kelli replied, suddenly fearful of what harm the truth might do to them. "Link just had a bad dreab, is all."

The Guardian of the Sun's words ended in a snort as she vainly tried to clear her clogged sinuses, and she worriedly pondered whether her slight deception would fool the three visitors.

"Oh, I see. I understand. He has been through quite a bit," Daphnes recalled, though Kelli could swear the wrinkles around his eyes deepened a bit.

"Indeed."

Kelli sneezed once more after responding.

"Still, he's shaking quite a bit. Are you sure he's alright?" Daphnes inquired, his too-wise stare suggesting that he already knew the answer.

"Well, I don't know," Kelli answered, grimly aware of the true gravity behind the simple words. "I really don't know."

Link, meanwhile, had seemed to have lapsed into a fevered slumber, though he continued to shudder and gasp…and Kelli had no doubt as to the cause.

_I swear, if I meet this Dark Kelli, I will beat her like a rented mule and then turn her into a rug!_

The Hylian king clapped a hand, almost skeletal from age, but still possessing a commanding grip, over Kelli's shoulder, and Kelli reluctantly relayed what she knew about her evil counterpart.

"This is dire news indeed," Daphnes intoned, his voice again weary and strained. "I had hoped that this Dark Link, of which I was informed all those years ago, would be the sole attempt at such a perversion. But, it seems I was wrong. And, it seems this Dark Kelli is far deadlier. No one has ever known Link to fear anything before. To many, he was veritable personification of courage and bravery. If Dark Kelli could…break him, then I fear we are lost."

"I dow," Kelli replied, again cursing her clogged sinuses. "I'll do my best to help him."

"We will too," Vira seconded. "Right, Navi?"

"Yeah. I'll…try to remain civil," Navi agreed, though she regarded Kelli with narrowed eyes.

"Thank you," Vira replied.

"And I thank you all," Daphnes added. "Kelli, are you feeling any better? The doctor told me of your cold before he left."

"Yeah, somewhat," Kelli replied. "I can see that it's dawn dow, so I'll be heading back out shortly."

"To Lost Hyrule?"

"Yep. I believe I'll find bore clues to our situation there."

"Very well."

"Wait, 'Lost Hyrule?'" Link wondered, apparently aroused from his feverish trance but still trembling.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot that I haven't explained it to you yet," Kelli realized. "Lost Hyrule is a land that was once part of Hyrule itself. Or, so one of the guards told be."

"It's true," Daphnes added. "Lost Hyrule has long been shrouded in mystery, and there is very little which is reliably known about it. Only a handful of ancient texts provided credible information and, alas, all were lost when the enemy destroyed the royal library. If memory serves, however, they described a land to the north that was once part of our kingdom. However, the land was erased from the map and sealed off. How and why this happened remains hotly debated, though little more than conjecture has emerged of late. However, the fence behind the windmill here in Kakariko apparently marks one of the paths into Lost Hyrule."

"One of the paths? There's bore than one path?" Kelli replied.

"Yes, the texts say there are at least two paths. But, I fear the second is lost to us. Reportedly, it's somewhere between Castle Town and Gerudo Valley, but I suspect that it has long since been sealed off by a landslide, one which was…arranged to ensure that Lost Hyrule would remain inaccessible. I also believe that such a tactic could not be used here, for fear of putting villagers in danger or causing Death Mountain to erupt. Even so, either from fear or lack of interest, not many people are eager to discover what's beyond the northern boundary of the kingdom. As the guard probably told you, few have left these borders since those paths were sealed off, except for those traveling to Mayia. This is all anyone knows, though. Any maps or other books pertaining to that mysterious land have been lost."

"I see…"

"Interesting," Link commented. "Man, I wish I didn't have to miss out on the fun."

"Oh, don't worry," Kelli replied with a chuckle punctuated by sniffles. "I'll bring you along when you've recovered. Besides, I probably won't be able to explore all of it on by first trip anyway. So, you can help be out later."

"Ah, thanks a bunch."

"You're welcob. Now please, Link, try to relax, okay?" Kelli insisted as she pulled on her boots and grabbed her equipment. "It'll help speed up your recovery."

"Alright, I will."

"Great. Well, see you later!"

With that, Kelli headed downstairs. Vira offered to go with her again and Daphnes bid the pair fairwell once more. Hopefully, Ruto would return to help Malon with the watch while Kelli and Vira were away. As Kelli herself had pointed out last night, the enemy might have been thrown off balance when the attempt to slay Link had backfired, and the possibility that their foe would make some drastic move was very real. She also hoped that she wouldn't get lost while exploring. The area was called Lost Hyrule for a reason, after all, and Daphnes did say that whatever maps of it that had once existed were now gone. Perhaps, once Link and Kelli had driven back the shadow that now stifled Hyrule, their explorations of Lost Hyrule could be used to dispel the mysteries of that land and to replace the destroyed maps? Being a consummate adventurer, it took Kelli but the twinkling of an eye to become enamored with the idea. For now, however, she still had to blindly venture into the unknown and could do little more than simply trust her instinct, as well as the goddesses, for guidance.

Kelli soon made her way back to the fence behind the windmill, glad that she wasn't forcing her way through a blizzard this time around. The sun shone overhead in a cloudless sky, and the only evidence that the blizzard had happened at all was a sudden abundance of muddy puddles. As Kelli drew nearer to the boundary of Lost Hyrule, she found herself wishing that Link could be with her to see this mysterious land. But, she knew he would get to see it in time…at least, she hoped so. She hoped that Dark Kelli hadn't broken Link's spirit and, more to the point, that her dark counterpart would not interfere with this exploration.

Much though she wanted to feed Dark Kelli to a Dodongo, Kelli knew that trying so now would likely prove foolhardy.

As the Sun Guardian passed through the fire blackened gap in the fence, she paused to let her gaze rove over her surroundings. Malon's urgent news about Link's heart stopping had caused her take the last leg of her excursion at a full run, and thus she took a moment to examine the land with greater care. The area around her was heavily wooded, with many trees, shrubs, and other plants, while streams and additional paths coursed through the copious greenery. It was not clear whether this area might have once been inhabited but, if it had been, whatever settlements that were once here had long since been abandoned and overgrown. That musing, however, sparked another. Had Lost Hyrule still been inhabited when the land had been sealed off from the rest of Hyrule? Daphnes had never mentioned anyone who might be living out here, and information on Lost Hyrule was quite scarce. Despite this, however, Kelli noticed that the path she was walking on was significantly wider than the paths that branched off of it. This likely meant that it had to be a major thoroughfare that people had once used. Seeing as it would obviously be the easiest path to travel, Kelli chose to stay on it.

During her travels, Kelli kept alert for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary while enduring her constant sneezing at the same time. For quite a while after she had passed by the Sun Shrine, however, she saw nothing but more plants, small wild animals, and the path wending ever onward. She crossed over a small bridge that spanned a tiny stream, little more than a trickle of water that she could walk through like she would a puddle of rain, idly wondering if the fact that the bridge was still standing could mean that these lands were yet populated. Mere minutes later, however, Kelli found the path branching off into two equally sized routes. One branch continued northeast while the other meandered to the west. Right at the edge of where the path split, there was a signpost with arrows pointing down each of the branching paths. The signpost had vines snaking around it and it was slightly crooked, perhaps from being bent by the wind or the wood warping from the rain. Kelli quickly approached, fervently hoping she'd find some clue as to which choice would be the wisest to take.

"Hey…" she uttered when she saw the writing on the sign. "Vira, this writing… It's not quite our tongue, but I can still understand it. It bust be an older dialect of Hyrule's language."

"Yeah, I can read it too," Vira agreed. "I think the sign pointing to the west path says "Skyview Village." …Say, Kel, do you think the village might be inhabited? After all, somebody was keeping up that bridge we crossed."

"My thought exactly. But, I'd rather have more information before I go around meeting the locals. For now, let's try this other path. The sign says "Sun Temple." Let's go there first. We'll save exploring this village for when Link is able to go with us. That way, if something goes wrong, we have a better chance of dealing with it. "

"Alright, that's fair."

With that, Kelli and Vira continued going straight and took the northeast path.

"Kelli, wait a moment," a familiar feminine voice called out. Kelli halted and turned around to see the Fairy of Winds hovering before her once again.

"Oh, Fairy of Winds. I apologize, I'b a little sick. Is there something I should dow?"

"So I can see… And yes. I can tell you about the Sun Temple," the Fairy of Winds replied. "And, I was also there not too long ago. I sensed a great deal of evil inside, more than I've felt at than any other location in Hyrule, save the castle. You must tread cautiously."

"Alright. Thanks, I certainly will. Dow what else can you tell me about this temple?"

"Well, firstly, and most importantly, it was the original resting place of the Sun Sword and the Sun Shield. Centuries ago, those chosen by the goddess of the sun were led there so they could take up the legendary blade and, with it, the mantle and duties of the Sky Guardian. Similarly, the Moon Temple, located on the other side of Lost Hyrule, once housed the Moon Sword and Moon Shield."

"Wow…"

"When the Master Sword came to be, the blades were moved to underground shrines, where they were thought to remain for all eternity. No one saw them again, until you and your friend Judo unwittingly discovered the Sun Shrine. Thus, the Sky Guardians stopped appearing until you chanced upon their legacy."

"I see. It all bakes sense now. After that, the Hyruleans had doh bore use for the temples or the shrines, so they cut this area from the bap and sealed off the only paths leading here. This way, doh one would accidentally find the blades…or so they thought."

"Exactly. I shall tell you more when Link is present. This information is of utmost importance to both of you."

"Alright, I understand. I still want to explore the Sun Temple, as there may be another jewel there. I promise to be careful."

"I'm glad to hear that. I'll see you again when you bring Link here."

Kelli nodded and the Fairy of Winds vanished once more. With that, the Guardian of the Sun made no hesitation to continue down the path, more eager than ever to explore the Sun Temple. Along the way, she contemplated what Skyview Village was like, or rather, had _been_ like, and if it might relate to the Sky Guardians. Kelli knew better than to consider that it had the word 'sky' in its name as being coincidental. Hopefully, this information would be at least part of what the Fairy of Winds would have to say later on.

Sometime later, Kelli found herself at another bridge, only this one spanned a river the size of the one near Kakariko Village, and the bridge was made of stone. Though this bridge was still standing, it didn't seem as well kept as the one Kelli had found earlier, as a number of its blocks were overgrown with moss and vines, and some were even cracked or chipped. She quickly crossed, hoping the bridge wouldn't disintegrate beneath her and that she would spot the Sun Temple soon. Despite the Fairy of Winds' warning, she very much wanted to destroy the monsters inside as soon as possible, and, hopefully, recover an Elemental Jewel as well. The jewels that remained missing were the Jewel of Shadow, the Jewel of Spirit, the Jewel of Light, and the Jewel of Sky. The first three surely imprisoned their respective Sages, namely Impa, Nabooru, and Rauru respectively, and thus, were probably hidden in places related to each. The Jewel of Sky, however, was a mystery. Still, Kelli believed that if a jewel was in the Sun Temple, it would most likely be that one.

As the Guardian of the Sun left the bridge behind, she belatedly realized that, in her surprise over learning about the Sun Temple, she had neglected to ask the Fairy of Winds if Lost Hyrule might be inhabited. That the bridges were still standing suggested that someone was here, maintaining them, possibly living in Skyview Village. But, Kelli had no idea who they were, where they might be, whether or not they were friendly or if they knew anything pertinent about the Sky Guardians. Mentally kicking herself for the oversight, she vowed not to make the same mistake again when the Fairy of Winds next presented herself.

Sometime later, Kelli finally beheld what was surely none other than the Sun Temple itself. It was a large, almost palatial building with stone walls the color of the sun's golden rays and lofty towers that pierced the sky. Breathtaking raised carvings, similar to the bird-like motifs upon the Hylian shields, adorned the structure as well. Though the building was still quite beautiful, its long abandonment had left its mark. The ancient stone blocks of its walls were cracked in places, and overgrown with moss and vines, much like the bridge Kelli had crossed earlier. What might've once been stained glass windows were now gaping holes giving free admittance to the elements. And, most glaringly, some of the bird carvings were crumbling away under the ravages of time. A pair of large, golden orange double doors marked the entrance to the ancient, yet magnificent temple. Right above these doors was a large sun emblem of the same color, the very same symbol inscribed upon the hilt of the Sky Guardian's sword and the face of her shield. Two flights of stairs led up to this grand entrance.

Before approaching, however, Kelli decided it would be prudent to test the Fairy of Winds' claims. With a silent incantation, she invoked her ability to sense the presence of evil. Her irises glowed golden and her hair stood slightly on end while the sun emblem appeared on her forehead again and her magic-enhanced eye pierced the temple walls and roamed within the structure. To her vision, the temple stood amidst a veritable fount of darkness, billowing outward in shockwaves, while previously inaudible roars and growls now resounded deafeningly. The Fairy of Winds had been right…in fact, she'd understated the case a little. Kelli's power detected the presence of more monsters within the Sun Temple than everywhere else she'd been to combined, aside from Hyrule Castle. Kelli could not suppress a nervous gulp but, after a moment, she spurred herself onward.

Before Kelli could start up the stairs, however, a dark, feminine voice that sounded eerily similar to her own spoke up.

"Hehe, we finally get to meet."

Kelli looked up to find a twisted, gray skinned reflection of herself sitting in the stone curve of one of the bird carving's wings, one leg draped over the other. Despite her grim coloring and malevolent demeanor, Kelli was struck by how much this figure resembled her. Only, her eyes were colored a baleful golden glow. Kelli knew right away who this was, and her lips peeled away from her teeth to expose a clenched jaw.

"YOU!" she snapped. "You're Dark Kelli!"

"Good guess," Dark Kelli replied cockily. "That must mean the handsome young warrior I met in the Fortress of Ice made it back to you alive. You sound a little worse for wear yourself though. Haha, how humorous."

"Shut up! Oh, and I dow you did more than just 'beet' Link. Disappointed that you failed to kill hib?"

"Ah, of course there's no use trying to hide it from you. Yes, I am very disappointed. He seemed to pose little threat to me, yet victory slipped away from my grasp when he somehow survived my ending blow and then stabbed my sword arm! It was too painful to even lift my blade, so I was forced to retreat. But oh, it's such a shame that I had to resort to violence. All _I _wanted was a little…companionship, and he had to go and hurt my feelings."

"Ha. As far as I dow, you deserved every bit of it for what you did to him."

"Hmph. He brought his near-demise upon himself. You know, he has such a nice body and he's quite lucky for it. Oh, what I'd give for someone like that to while all those long, lonely nights. I just kill men that I'm not at all pleased with. I would have spared Link's pain, had he cooperated, despite him claiming to be one of those wretched Sky Guardians."

Kelli silently cursed the vast distance between herself and her evil counterpart. Still, if what Dark Kelli had said was true, then the wound in Link's stomach had been caused by an ending blow. No man could take such a blow and live to tell about it, let alone still have enough strength to strike back…except, so it was said, one meant to serve as one of the goddesses' chosen warriors. Apparently, the goddess of the moon had chosen well in selecting Link to be the next Guardian of the Moon. If a warrior like Link could perform such a feat as Dark Kelli lamented over, then he truly did have the makings of a powerful Sky Guardian. Kelli recalled telling him that eventually, not even Dark Kelli would be able to defeat him and she was now certain that her judgment had been correct. She just needed to get Link himself to believe it.

"We'll dever cooperate with you," Kelli hissed, shooting Dark Kelli a glare.

"That's quite unfortunate for you then," the evil twin replied.

"Oh really? Then get dowd here and let's find out if that's true!"

"Ah, tempting, but I'm afraid I have other plans at the moment. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll have some fun eventually. Ta ta for now! Hehehe!"

"Doh you don't! Wait!" Kelli angrily shouted. But Dark Kelli merely laughed at her counterpart and, with a flick of the wrist, conjured a cloud of smoke. Once the wind had broken up the opaque vapors, Dark Kelli was nowhere in sight. Kelli cursed her luck and could only hope that Dark Kelli's alleged plans had nothing to do with Kakariko, the sages, or Link.

Even if the source of the evil plaguing Hyrule had been thrown off balance by his recovery and the retrieval of two more Elemental Jewels, it seemed that whatever shock Dark Kelli might have felt had long since passed.

And, given Link's account of this particular enemy, that meant trouble.


End file.
